Demon Sword
by Abdiel
Summary: Yusuke meets Kenshin. Stuff happens.
1. Teaser

"There we go: The Legendary Shrine of the Sword. It's strange, though. Nobody's here."

"Is this the one, though? We've been searching for, like, ten years now."

"Shaddup. I say this is the one, and you know better than to question what I say, dumbass."

* * *

_Two men. Two different views on the topic of justice and truth. Two goals. One final battle to determine the future that would come to pass. _

* * *

"But... But you said the same thing last time around."

"That was last time. This time, I've got leads."

"Didn't you have leads the last time as well?"

* * *

_Only one could survive._

* * *

"You. Shut your trap. We're gonna be going in. I want all of you idiots to be careful. There might be traps or something."

"Yes, sir."

"Wait."

"What now, boss?"

"I got a whiff of something nasty. There's some low S-Level bastard in there."

* * *

_Right?_

* * *

"Er, the sword, boss?"

"Couldn't be. The sword's a tool, like a magnifying lens, you know? It magnifies the power you already got. There's somebody in there."

* * *

_But what if, in those final hours, something happened? What if both of them died?_

* * *

"We're going in. Stay on your toes, those of you who have toes."

"Aye, boss."

* * *

_Then, friends, then you got yourself something there._

* * *

"Er, boss?"

"Yeah?"

* * *

_It was the year 1993..._

* * *

"No traps. No S-Level."

"No S-Level? Where's the sword?"

* * *

_...And life was good for Yusuke Urameshi._

* * *

"Right here, boss."

"Hand it over."

"Sure thing, boss."

* * *

_...Except for the fact that trouble was stirring._

* * *

The figure unwrapped the sword slowly, and then froze. He threw the sword to the center of the room.

"Get back, guys. We've got an A-Level here. It's the sword."

"Told you, boss."

"Shaddup!"

A mist rose around the sword, and slowly took form...

"Oro?"

* * *

**Youtou Shinnoken: Demon Sword**

A Yuyu Hakusho/Rurouni Kenshin fic  
by Chester Castañeda and Danyal Herder

Original concept by Chad Yang

_Disclaimer: Yuyu Hakusho is the rightful property of Yoshihiro Togashi, Shueisha, Fuji TV and St. Pierrot. Rurouni Kenshin is the rightful property of Nobuhiro Watsuki and Sony. Don't sue us please, we are very poor._

* * *

**Teaser: Heart of Sword**

* * *

This one been done before? No? Didn't think so. Anyway, I'm honestly not going to continue this, so if anyone wants to pick it, feel free. Actually, I'm _hoping_ somebody will pick it up, if it's simply because it's a shame to see a good idea go to waste.

**SeventhOne**


	2. Chapter 1

Yusuke stretched out his arms in boredom as he felt the presence of a horde of youkai in the nearby cave he was supposed to enter. It probably looked like an ordinary cavern to the human eye, but that wasn't the case for him. Of course, he wasn't exactly human anymore; not really.

The sleek-haired boy sighed. "As usual, Koenma's dumping another one of his assignments on me, as if I have nothing better to do." Actually, he _didn't_ have anything better to do other than tending to his food stand that he used as a front for emergency Reikai missions such as this, but that little irony escaped him at the moment. "Oh well. Let's get this over with."

The half-demon stopped in mid-step. 'Hmmm. There are a lot of small fry demons in there. Still, I'm sensing something... a lot more powerful.' Yusuke grinned. "Maybe this isn't going to be such a boring mission after all."

Yusuke tensed as he searched in the darkness of the cave entrance, bracing himself for absolutely anything. He afterwards jumped straight up into the stony ceiling as a streak of greased lightning struck the place he was occupying just seconds ago.

The spirit detective eventually let go of the stalactite he held onto and landed on his feet like a cat. "Okay, what's the big...? YOU!" he started, but then sputtered at the end after realizing who it was that fired upon him. He went pale, as though he'd just seen a ghost.

"It's been a long time, kiddo," a pasty white, red-haired, and blue-veined demon from Yusuke's past smugly greeted, his arms crossed in challenge. The infamous "chameleon" fighter known as Rando was finally back in town, after many seasons of absence. "Did you miss me?"

"RANDO! You're still alive? How were you able to escape Spirit World prison? What are you doing here?"

"That's in a need to know basis, and as far as you're concerned, you don't need to know."

"Well, I don't care! I need to retrieve something in that shrine."

"And what make's you think I'll allow you to retrieve it?"

Yusuke rolled his eyes and disappeared.

Before the youkai could even react, a meaty fist was already slammed on his face care of the erstwhile half-demon.

Sure, Yusuke could've went on and on demanding what the hell the previously incarcerated Rando was doing there in the Legendary Shrine of the Sword, but he figured that punching now and asking questions later saved him a lot more time and energy needed to finish his mission.

Yusuke Urameshi, after all, was not one to dillydally.

* * *

**Youtou Shinnoken: Demon Sword**

A Yuyu Hakusho/Rurouni Kenshin fic  
by Chester Castañeda and Danyal Herder

Original concept by Chad Yang

My first fan fiction using the original concept of another author while cooperatively writing it with yet another author at that! It's going to be cool. ^.^

_Disclaimer: Yuyu Hakusho is the rightful property of Yoshihiro Togashi, Shueisha, Fuji TV and St. Pierrot. Rurouni Kenshin is the rightful property of Nobuhiro Watsuki and Sony. Don't sue us please, we are very poor._

* * *

**Chapter 1: Heart of Sword (Part 1)**

* * *

"Boss! Boss Iehik!" one of the lesser demons called out in a panicked voice, his falsetto tone grating the old, corpulent leader's large, pulsating nerves. "There's a low S-Level presence inside the cavern, sir! We may have some trouble here."

Before Iehik could answer, a brawny, over-muscled, three-toed, bull-like creature chortled mightily. "S-Levels are overrated! Let him come! If it's a true test of guts, S-Levels suck! All they rely on is their oh-so-powerful and limitless store of ki! Well, once they face me, they'll know that I...!"

"SHUT UP, IEHOG! I'm trying to think of a proper strategy to get us out into this fine mess you've gotten us into!" Iehik shouted irritably at his boorish companion. "It's getting to be that a demon can't find good help nowadays, even from his own family!" He shot Iehog one more withering look before again falling into deep contemplation.

"I'm sorry, big brother," Iehog sheepishly apologized, kowtowed. Iehik merely ignored him.

"It seems that something is reacting to the sword; some sort of presence that's different from all the rest of us. The energy I'm feeling in that blade is _ definitely_ not youki," Iehik reckoned morosely as he observed the sacred weapon.

"So what the hell do we do now, big brother?" Iehog rowdily queried. "What's with all this 'reacting' shit you're talking about? I thought the sword was supposed to make demons powerful! That's why it's called the Demon Sword, right?"

"Silence!" Iehik shouted angrily. "Speak when only spoken to, Iehog! I'm the leader of this group, and what I say goes!"

"Isn't it ironic for a person to shout silence?" one of the group's youkai lackeys quizzically asked.

"Rikyone," Iehik sweetly addressed the inquisitive demon who made the strange comment. "Would you be so kind as to pull the sword out of that sealed stone altar?"

Rikyone shrugged. "No prob."

"But big brother!" Iehog whined. "Rikyone will get the power of the sword! No fair, no fair!"

"Silen..." Iehik started, but he quickly amended to, "Hush, you fool! Watch and learn."

Before the brainy demon was able to finish his sentence, Rikyone had already turned to dust.

"Whu...?" Iehog started, clearly shocked. "But I thought the Demon Sword was supposed to...!"

"Yes. The sword's a tool, like a magnifying lens. It magnifies the power you already got. It makes your youki rise to incredible levels. It has even made Class-D demons like us into Class-As and higher." Iehik narrowed his eyes. "But that's not the case now. Something else is reacting to the sword. It's not youki I feel in there."

"Huh? Not youki?" came another Iehog spit-take as he boggled.

"It's..." Iehik murmured, "reiki."

* * *

Even as the Demon Sword responded to Yusuke's energy signature, the half-demon and his recently revived, fully demonic nemesis continued to battle for a good twenty minutes or so. For some reason, despite Yusuke's current power level, Rando managed to keep up, though only barely so.

The multitude of strikes from Yusuke's iron fists rumbled across the whole expanse of the cavern entrance, sending the hapless Rando flying through the air, hitting and breaking through boulders like they were made out of dry wafers and Styrofoam.

"I don't know what the hell you're doing here in the Human World, Rando, but I'll make sure that this time, you'll never come back!" Yusuke swore as he finally succumbed to the trite old convention of the one-liner. "I sure as hell won't let you get a hold of whatever it is Koenma sent me here for."

Yusuke flinched as Rando slowly got up from the rubble, completely unhurt. The demon arrogantly strode across the trail of crushed and powdered fragments of what was once the cave floor, a nasty grin plastered on his face. "You were saying?"

Yusuke punched Rando on the face again, but the demon barely even did a wince or a grimace in kind. "I must admit, your punches have become a bit more powerful since the last time we fought. Nonetheless, even the physical exertions of a Class-S half-breed like yourself are ineffective against my Iron Body Technique."

"_Your_ Iron Body Technique? Bullshit, it's just another technique you've stolen from someone who's infinitely more skillful that you," Yusuke snorted derisively as he balled up his right fist. It soon brimmed with barely containable spiritual energy. "Anyway, if I can't rearrange your face with my fucking fists, then I'll just blast it off. SHOTGUN!"

'That's exactly what I've been waiting for, Urameshi! I want to see how much you've _really_ improved.' Rando's smile grew even wider. "ZANKU REPPUU JIN!"

Thin, razor-sharp vacuum hoops abated the sheer ferocity of the Shotgun technique, making it easier for Rando to escape its fury. Yusuke, on his part, also evaded the Zanku Reppuu Jin rings that did get through his attack with no trouble, but the grimace on his face was still quite apparent.

"Isn't it fun to reminisce, Urameshi? These were the techniques I used on you and your friend while I was still pretending to be a Shaolin Monk. Speaking of which, think fast! SHAOLIN-KA-SHOU-HAPPA-KEN!"

Countless balls of Human World flames formed on each of Rando's palms as the pasty-skinned demon easily juggled them from one hand to the other. He carelessly and gleefully lobbed them one by one at a very irritated Yusuke Urameshi.

'What the hell is he trying to do? Singe me to death?' Yusuke thought incredulously, not sure if he should be insulted or not by Rando's little parlor tricks. The impetuous young man easily avoided most of the fireballs. "Cut the crap, Rando!"

The youkai merely laughed mockingly at the half-demon. "Of course." From there, Rando shouted, "ZANKU REPPUU JIN!" and "SHAOLIN-KA-SHOU-HAPPA-KEN!" repeatedly as an endless stream of fireballs and vacuum rings bombarded the annoyed Reikai Tantei.

"I said cut the CRAP! REI-KOU-DAN! REI-KOU-DAN! REI-KOU-DAN!"

The multiple arcs of energy effortlessly blasted through the futile techniques, as expected. Then, unexpectedly, silken threads danced amidst the settling smoke and dust, enveloping the impulsive teenager. "Oh, shit. Not again!"

"You must have a really rotten memory for you to forget this particular technique of mine," Rando derided as he tightened the threads of web around Yusuke, the errant Spirit Detective acting like a spool for the demon web. "You may have grown quite strong over the years, but you're still the same bullheaded little boy I knew from before; quick to anger and quite predictably so. Just like old times, right?"

"Humph," Yusuke detailed as he broke and ripped through Rando's demonic webbing with one movement. "You must really be full of it if you..."

Half of a second later, a flaming right hook brimming with a combination of unidentifiable energies smashed through Yusuke's ribs and midsection with the impact of a many-megaton explosion.

* * *

_Forty-five minutes later... _

"Er, boss?" the panicky demon from before started.

"Yeah?" Iehik replied irritably.

"No traps. No S-Level. The, er, reiki from the sword is gone."

"Hand it over, then," Iehik ordered nonchalantly, though he still eyed the artifact like it was a dangerous serpent.

"Sure thing, boss."

The precautious Iehik unsheathed the blade slowly, and then froze. He threw the weapon back to the center of the room.

"Big brother!" Iehog roared in alarm. "What's going on?"

"Get back, guys. We've got an A-Level here. It's the sword," Iehik surmised as calmly as possible, even though his knees had begun to shake.

"Told you, boss."

"Shaddup!"

A mist rose around the sword, and it slowly took form...

"Oro?"

* * *

"REI-GAN!" the bloodied and bruised Yusuke was forced to use his most powerful yet equally most energy-consuming technique so early in the battle, which sapped his reiki up. What he didn't realize was that, in contrast to his belief that the higher one's power level, the easier it was to bully lower class enemies to submission, Rando was actually able to use strategy and brains to defeat his overabundance of spiritual force.

Rando was completely absorbed in an orb of blood-red energy as he chanted, "Kyuuketsuki Kakuto Ryu: INNER BLOOD TURMOIL!" Then, as the Rei-Gan made contact with the energy surrounding him, it instantly dissipated.

Yusuke could only stare, dumbfounded.

Rando once again cackled as he pointed dramatically at his nemesis. "That is the true power of the Vampire Discipline. Ancient Vampires believed that the ki of a bleeding fighter, compared to that of an unwounded opponent, is weaker and more vulnerable to dispersing. They have taken advantage of this fact with the creation of this defensive skill. Your reiki-based techniques are useless against these sophisticated maneuvers of mine."

Yusuke slowly got up from his prone position, gingerly grasping his sore shoulder, not at all acknowledging Rando's presence.

Alas, the abilities Rando was currently showcasing were more defensive than offensive in nature. He was so traumatized by Yusuke's offensive capabilities the last time around, he made the mistake of concentrating more on his defense than offense, which basically turned him into a tank without any significant firepower.

"You talk too much," Yusuke assessed as he brushed himself off and started walking calmly towards the now sputtering Rando.

He'd seriously underestimated his enemy's resiliency this time around, which basically meant that he'd now screwed himself twice over, because when it came to offense, a Class-B demon like himself hadn't a prayer against an S-Level.

"Y-You may have survived that attack, but I have a good ninety-something techniques left to use on you! Don't get too dizzy with your own...!"

Soon the demon realized that he was again talking to thin air.

"TAKO NAGURI!" Yusuke shouted as he did another one of his impromptu and improvised techniques, his arms striking Rando so fast that, for a second, it seemed like he had eight arms instead of just two; hence the aptly named "Octopus Assault."

Rando's vision blurred as he tasted the rusty tang of his own blood. The spray of crimson from below his chin was in stark contrast to the pasty complexion of his veined chest, making it look as if he were wearing a tattered red bib of some sort. Upon rubbery legs did the demon fall.

Under normal conditions, Yusuke's powerful strike would have literally beheaded Rando save for two facts: First, the demon was an alumnus of the Dark Arts of Kyuuketsuki Kakuto Ryu, which left him immune to ever sort of ki-attack so long as his blood pressure remained stronger than his opponent's. Second, the Iron Body technique kept him away from bodily harm's reach. Purely physical attacks meant nothing to him. There was no way Yusuke should get through the iron gauntlet of his dual extreme defenses.

So why was his jaw dislocated by a punch that by all intents and purposes shouldn't have hurt him at all?

'Why? How?' Rando mentally wailed to the mocking and niggling fates as he swung his balled-up fists at the unseen hands of circumstance. The answer to that question was actually simple, if a bit frustrating. Unlike he who had to resort to sophisticated techniques and genius-level subterfuge to win fights, Yusuke only needed to try harder to succeed.

If one punch wasn't enough, then he'd use more punches. It was disgusting how overpowered the young half-demon was, but that was the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help them Enma Daio.

Impulsive as Yusuke was, he charged up his pointer finger with the remnants of his power without the slightest hesitation. Even though he wasn't sure of the consequences of his brash assault, he still did what he did _just_ because he was himself. Consequences be damned, he was who he was and that was all there was to it.

"Who the HELL do you think I am, you BASTARD?" Rando cried out as he struggled to stand against his approaching doom and its comet-like projectile. Unfortunately, his legs didn't heed his futile attempts to move. He snarled at his numb limbs in aggravation.

By Yusuke's sheer force of will, the situation had changed. The earlier stalemate was about to become a checkmate in his favor.

"No," came Rando's guttural growl of adamant denial. "I won't let you."

Because Yusuke was so reckless, he attempted to shoot the buckled-down Rando with the Rei-Gan once again, despite the fact that it didn't work on the demon the first time. In any case, it wasn't as if he was doing anything groundbreaking or out of character. He was reckless and impulsive because he was Yusuke Urameshi, and that was that.

"Go ahead. Shoot that Rei-Gan and waste your energy. Once you're through, I'll come over there and break your neck," Rando arrogantly bluffed, his rubbery legs trembling after taking the full brunt of Yusuke's Octopus Assault earlier. Nevertheless, his Inner Blood Turmoil technique was on standby, ready to absorb the Spirit Ball when worse came to worst.

Once everything was said and done, Yusuke fired his Rei-Gan despite Rando's Inner Blood Turmoil Technique, and Rando could not move to avoid it because of Yusuke's Tako Nagure Technique. Their impasse was about to end, and the balance was about to shift.

"Kyuuketsuki Kakuto Ryu...!" Rando started to chant, but was surprised when the Rei-Gan blasted the ground in front of him instead of hitting him. "HA! You missed!"

"No, I didn't." Yusuke smirked as an avalanche of debris shot straight for the hapless Rando, breaking every bone in his body.

However, once the high-velocity barrage was finished and the thoroughly bloodied demon was about to fall into a dead faint, Rando defiantly shouted, "Who the HELL do you think I am, you BASTARD?"

"Dammit, why won't you die?" Yusuke likewise cried out as his steel fists turned into speeding, flesh-colored blurs. "I'll finish you off right now! If an eight-punch combo isn't enough to take you down, then let's see you survive a hundred punches! HYAKU RETSU KEN!"

"No," came Rando's guttural growl of adamant denial. "I won't let you. Kyuuketsuki Kakuto Ryu Ougi: BLOOD WIND!"

Even though the Rei-Gan didn't directly hit Rando, he was still able to activate the Desperation Technique of the Blood Wind by combining the ambient reiki of the surrounding area, the blood-ki of his own bleeding body, and the Rei-Gan he absorbed earlier to form a crimson, energy-absorbing tornado of pure death. It was the ultimate kamikaze attack that allowed even injured fighters a fighting chance for a comeback.

"For the glory of Chojin-sama's eventual rise to power, I will not waste the chance given by him to deliver my sweet revenge upon you, Urameshi! Taste the suffering I've gone through in REIKAI'S HELL! CHOKE ON IT!"

"Chojin? Who's...?"

Yusuke felt his spirit energy get halved as soon as his body went into contact with the whirling scarlet vortex. 'I'm... losing? Rando's about to beat me? But he's only about Class-B at best! I don't believe it. This isn't the same Rando I fought with a year and a half ago. Something's changed in him.'

Just as a large portion of Yusuke's energy was sapped by the Blood Wind, a portal opened from behind him and out appeared Kuwabara via the power of his peerless Jigen Tou. He must be going batshit insane.

"URAMESHI! Leave Rando to me! Koenma says that you shouldn't let the Demon Sword fall into the wrong hands or something!" the newly-arrived Kazuma Kuwabara curtly informed Yusuke before braving the storms of Rando's ougi. "What the hell are you waiting for? GO!"

"Damn interloper! BLOOD FIRE WAVE!" Rando shrieked after using the energies that the Blood Wind had gathered to revitalize his battered form, firing off a poor man's version of the Vampire Discipline's ultimate counterattack at Kuwabara.

"Kuwabara," Yusuke gasped as he gingerly favored his midsection, feeling rather worn out. "I owe you one." He proceeded to turn and run into the dark depths of the cave, his silhouette fading soon afterwards.

From there, Kuwabara's Jigen Tou quickly flickered like a candle in the wind as he desperately slashed against Rando's crimson projectiles.

"Fool. By taking the bullet meant for Urameshi, your spiritual powers have now been sapped as well. Your interference is all for nothing," Rando boasted, but was surprised when Kuwabara kept coming forward. "W-What are you doing? You've lost, so get lost!"

"No, I don't think so," Kuwabara growled as he slashed another portal and tackled Rando into it before his Dimension Sword disappeared altogether. After all, a _real_ man made sure to keep his word; when he promised Yusuke that he'd take care of Rando, he meant it.

A few minutes later, they were transported into a mountain forest many, many miles away.

'Finally,' thought Yusuke as he entered the Legendary Shrine of the Sword. 'I sure hope Kuwabara can beat Rando this time around.'

* * *

The demons all stared in bewilderment as the murky gas eventually materialized into a young... actually, 'young-looking'... human who seemed to be just as confused with the situation as they were. His orange-red hair dangled over his forehead, and a few scattered individual strands touched on a tiny duo of scars on his left cheek. The man eyed his surroundings and let out a forlorn sigh. "What a place to pop into," he muttered with his eyes closed.

At the spirit's supposed disenchantment of the situation, Iehog allowed a small grunt to escape his lips. "What's that supposed to mean? Who the hell are you? And..." His anger appeared to be rising, but he was silenced by the raised right hand of Iehik, who had decided that this was a matter that should be dealt with delicately.

The awkward silence that ensued for a minute or two was finally dissipated by a cry of terror. The demons all turned their heads to see the shadow of their makeshift guard hurled ten feet into the air by an intruder. A loud thud was heard, and it became apparent that the roof of the cave hadn't treated the guard well. Iehik gritted his teeth and pointed a fat finger at the opening. "Make sure whoever's there doesn't get anywhere NEAR the sword!"

"But that wouldn't be any fun, would it?" the voice of a new figure concluded in as sarcastic a manner as he could muster. The demons first caught a glimpse of their opponent when he leapt onto the head of one of the weakest in the crew and used him as a springboard, catapulting himself right into the chest of a huge, purple demon with a right fist that glimmered with light-blue energy. The punch of the fighter, apparently a human boy, went straight through the luckless demon, causing it to crouch over motionless.

Yusuke grinned, always happy to put a wretched demon out of its misery. He took a quick glimpse at the sword, and cocked his head in confusion at the red-haired being hanging over it. Still, even though Yusuke had more than enough confidence to take on anyone... he just taken care of Rando by blasting him off into the sky like a rocket care of the Rei-Gan, after all... he still knew it'd be a good idea to get rid of the fledglings that had encountered the sword. After all, he was currently low on spirit energy reserves, so he needed to watch out.

The spirit that popped out of the sword looked sadly at the dead demons, then stared at Yusuke in awe. 'Wow. What power! This boy is a bit... irresponsible with it, though.'

Iehik's veins were practically popping out of his head by that point. He simply would not let such a worthless human get a hold of the sword. He looked at the rest of his entourage. "All of you, destroy that piece of shit!"

The remaining demons, of which there were five or six, cautiously looked at Yusuke. Most recognized him from the infamous Makai tournament not so long ago, and weren't looking forward to facing one of the semifinalists.

Still, Yusuke inched forward. "Yeah, this piece of shit is looking for some fun." He bent his knees, lowering his body by about half a foot, and charged forward. "Come on, you fucking bastards! SHOTGUN!"

Before the minions could react, two dozen or so fist-sized blasts of blue energy erupted from Yusuke's body, spraying each of them with at least three or four good shots. All of them flailed backwards, either breaking their necks against the hard surface of the cave, or having the fortune of only being knocked unconscious.

Yusuke grinned. No matter how many times he did it, it was always fun to destroy pathetic demons. He looked at Iehik and Iehog, the only demons still conscious. "You guys want to try your luck, or just escape with your lives while you still can?" The boy truly didn't care about their decision; either way, he'd be getting the sword.

The spirit watching over the scene was breathless. He had seen some powerful demons unleash spirit energy, but never a human, and never in this magnitude. He allowed a small smirk to appear on his face. 'What an interesting fellow indeed,' he thought. His eyes remained locked on the human, eager to see what he would do next.

The spirit's smirk looked kind of crooked as he surveyed the pathetic, mangled and unconscious demons scattered all over the cave. 'What a very violent and uncouth fellow. But he was considerate enough to hold back on account of the weaker demons... sort of. There are still some demons that are still alive, after all. To fight with all your might, not caring whether or not the opponent survives; he sort of reminds me of an old friend that way,' he noted nostalgically.

The red-haired lost soul then looked mournfully at the ashy remains of the demon once known as Rikyone. 'That poor demon; so weak, so gullible. If only I was able to manifest in time, then maybe that poor youkai wouldn't have been disintegrated by that strange human's incredible reiki.'

The ghostly swordsman allowed himself to blink. Manifest himself? That was new. Usually the sword was only a focal point to magnify the youki of any particular demon. It usually takes incredible, nigh-exhaustible amounts of spiritual energy for him to attain at least a corporeal form, much less a semi-tangible one that could affect the physical world's reality.

'Could it be...?' Could it be that the human's reiki reacted to the sword in such a way that I can now manifest himself in the physical world without possessing people?'

To test his theory, the 'samurai' spirit tried stepping on the ground. Sure enough, his feet were able to touch it.

"I... I can step on the ground!" the apparition cheered, clapping excitedly. "I haven't been able to step on the ground in a long, long time! This makes me so happy!" The now-corporeal being soon felt three intense and puzzled gazes upon his person. "Oro?"

"He's... a rather wimpy fellow, isn't he?" Iehog noted as his other companions reflexively nodded. 'He looks mighty familiar, though.'

The samurai spirit facefaulted then and there.

"That he is; he's all scrawny, bony and small. Could he actually be the guardian of the sword?" Iehik chimed in.

The ghost of the sword perked up a bit from his precarious position on the ground, blinking innocently.

"No! That's just silly! Maybe he's some low-level human spirit that got absorbed by the sword or something!" the big-headed youkai reasoned.

The red-haired phantom merely sweatdropped instead of face-faulted this time around. "You're both so mean!"

An insistent cough led the three beings back to the reality and gravity of the situation, but the insistent and gleeful cracking of knuckles really was what really got their attention.

"Now, I don't know about you," Yusuke Urameshi started, "but I really just want to get this whole 'Get important Spirit World artifact and shit' mission over with as soon as possible. But..."

A manifestation of intense light and heat began emanating all over the Reikai Tantei's person. "If you insist on doing things the hard way, then I guess I have no choice but to enjoy myself." He ended his rather obvious and gleeful threat with a maniacal grin.

'He acts very much like Sanosuke,' the spirit concluded to himself in silent chagrin.

Yusuke blinked in spite of himself. 'Strange. 'I thought I used up most of my energy fighting Rando, but ever since I entered the Legendary Shrine of the Sword, I somehow I feel more, I don't know, invig... invigor... um... lively?' He mentally shrugged. 'Maybe it's the adrenalin rush of getting a kick ass mission after so many months. Weird.'

"You fucking bastard! My big brother and I have been searching for the Demon Sword for ten years now! Who are you to tell us what to do, you dumbass?" Iehog rowdily spat while his elder sibling wisely began inching away from the entire scenario.

"Me, I'm nobody," Yusuke nonchalantly reckoned, adding, "The two of you, on the other hand, are nothing."

"Fuck that! You may be some weird human who happens to have Class-S powers, but I'm not afraid of that shit!" Iehog proudly harrumphed. "I'll show you exactly why I don't give a shit about the Reikai class system!"

"Do your best, little brother!" Iehik called out a good distance away from the combatants, waving cheerfully. Iehog just growled and grumbled.

"Yeah? Well, enough talk!" Yusuke shouted out as he went into the basic Rei-Kou-Hadou-Ken stance. "Show me what you got, ugly!"

A stray gust of wind that somehow ended up inside the cave blew a small tumbleweed in front of the disheveled, corporeal samurai spirit. "Ummm," he said sheepishly.

"I may be ugly," Iehog conceded as his youki began to spread across the entirety of the cave. The unconscious bodies of their band of demons afterwards got sucked into the brawny youkai's body, absorbed and molded until the demon once known as Iehog was now turned into a multi-armed, multi-legged, and multi-headed monstrosity. "But hot damn, see me kick your scrawny ass!"

* * *

The entity surveyed the situation analytically, as if it was an automatic response he had over such circumstances. 'The larger demon is using some sort of body absorption technique that multiplies his power exponentially. He is also able to take in the unique characteristics of every youkai he absorbs.'

The spiritual entity narrowed his violet eyes. 'In theory, even lower, D-Level entities, when they combine their powers successfully in large multitudes, could achieve abilities rivaling that of a Class-S being. This Iehog is using that very technique right now; fascinating.'

In a blink of an eye, despite his obviously heavy mass, Iehog quickly disappeared. A sudden flurry of blows that seemed to come from all directions met up with the hapless Yusuke. The boy easily countered most of the strikes, but due to the mere fact that he was taken completely by surprise, the monstrous Iehog was able to take graze him by the side and hit him by the jaw.

'What the hell?' Yusuke thought as he wiped the trickle of blood from his lips. 'This guy isn't the joke that I thought he was.' To Iehog, he snarled, "Eat this," before he shouted out loud, "SHOTGUN!"

One of Iehog's heads suddenly opened its mouth, absorbing the furious barrage of reiki from Yusuke's fist. Then another head opened its mouth releasing the same amount of youki toward the spirit detective's direction.

"SHIT!" Yusuke cursed as he avoided the blast of demonic energy that destroyed a new hole in the cave wall. "How come I didn't see that demon use that tricky technique while I beat their asses to a pulp just a while ago? Tell me!"

Iehog's original bearded head chuckled darkly. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

Iehik cackled, getting Yusuke's attention. "It's all very simple, human. The demon with the absorption technique, Rakya, can only absorb ki, not release it. You knocked him out using physical force. The other demon, Kukurya, the one that can convert reiki to youki, can only absorb so much of your incredible spiritual power before he collapsed. Now, with my brother's body fusion technique, he can get all our men's strengths and none of their weaknesses. You're outmatched, boy!"

To Iehik's vexation, Yusuke was already ignoring him in the middle of his rant.

Yusuke narrowed his eyes at the grinning Iehog. 'I know I can take this guy, there's no doubt about it, but at this point he has the power equivalent to that of Toguro, which means I can't hold back now, especially with what that bastard Rando did to me earlier.' He sighed. 'Oh well. It looks like Koenma is about to fill in more paperwork for several soon-to-be-dead youkai.'

The spirit also narrowed his eyes, as if reading Yusuke's thoughts. 'No. This can't be.'

Yusuke soon manifested his true potential, startling even the previously unflappable Iehog.

"W-Wait a minute!" one head on Iehog's body whined pathetically.

"Oh no! I knew it; even with Iehog's technique, we still might get killed!" another head exclaimed, saying his last prayer as he braced himself for the worse.

"Fuck him and his spiritual power! I can take him on! And when he's unconscious, I'll be the one to take over!" the true Iehog declared after recovering from his initial shock. He felt his heart... among many other hearts... beat in synchronization with his excited breathing. 'Once I get a hold of that guy, I'll be fucking invincible! I've got to beat him!'

"Iehog, you fool! You'll get us all killed!" another demon head cried in absolute terror and panic.

A demon with a deadpanned face merely sighed. "It's already too late," he intoned in monotone as he consigned himself to his inevitable fate.

Yusuke and Iehog charged while a large, raging fire of youki fought to survive against the face of a torrential downpour of reiki.

It was a losing battle from the start; Iehog's fate was sealed.

But he would not allow it; he would never allow it.

"NO!" the samurai spirit screamed as he grabbed his mystical sword and charged at the two combatants, a determined glint in his violet eyes. "I will not allow this senseless bloodshed to commence! I, Himura Kenshin of the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu, will stop this at once!"

Yusuke, right in the middle of running and preparing a punch to stop the world, skidded to a halt, just seconds away from crashing onto Iehog. Yusuke glared at this recently materialized Kenshin and threw up his arms. "What the hell was that for? I'm trying to protect your sword here!" he shouted. "You should be thanking me for getting rid of these pieces of shit!"

The hollering on the part of Yusuke had no apparent effect on the demeanor of Kenshin, who only shook his head. "I can't explain it to you right now, but there are more grave repercussions to your act aside from the obvious moral ones. Besides, you're almost out of reiki, aren't you? You already fought a tough battle before you even got here, didn't you?"

Yusuke was taken aback by Kenshin's assessment. 'How did he know about my fight with Rando?' To Kenshin, Yusuke stated aloud, "That's nonsense! I feel perfectly fine! Ever since I got here, I've never felt better!"

"That's part of the reason why I can't let you fight this monster. It was actually your reiki that woke me up. We now share a bond with each other because you're the current holder of the Demon Sword. Because of that, I'm aware of the current state of your body. Your energy has been sapped care of your enemy earlier, and the only reason you can still fight now is because of the Youtou Shinnoken's energy magnifying powers," Kenshin explained evenly as he took hold of his weapon and stepped in between Iehog and Yusuke.

"Like HELL I can't fight... WHAT?" Yusuke sputtered after he felt his body freeze for some reason. 'What's going on? Who is this wimpy samurai?'

'I'm Kenshin. Himura Kenshin. And what you're currently feeling now is the Kanashibari technique. If you were a little bit stronger, you'd be able to break free, but as is, my hold on you illustrates my point. Now that you've become the designated holder of the Demon Sword, I can't allow you to act recklessly. My apologies, sir,' Kenshin telepathically related to Yusuke before facing off with Iehog.

'The name's Urameshi Yusuke, you pathetic for a swordsman!' Yusuke mentally fired back. 'What I'd like to know is how you're going to beat that B-Level demon without resorting to _senseless bloodshed_! You'd get killed first!'

Kenshin partly unsheathed the Demon Sword with a flick of his thumb. 'Watch and learn, Yusuke-dono.'

"Like what you see, samurai boy? Well, how about I _show_ you what this hot stud of a body can do!" With that said, Iehog eyes unfocused as he growled wildly. 'He' became an 'It'... a complete personification of a greater, terrible force of nature waiting to be unleashed into the world. Every last vestige of him that was Iehog was blown away like a dry summer leaf in the midst of an overpowering hurricane.

It did not talk any further as it continued to advance on Kenshin at the same even pace. Its gait was strange and unsettling, an eerie amble that hinted at a skeleton horribly warped and twisted beneath the hodgepodge of demon parts.

Iehog closed the distance between itself and Kenshin with a sudden burst of blinding speed, lashing out at the swordsman's head. Even with his lightning reflexes, Kenshin barely managed to evade the attack.

Iehog attacked with a ferocity which was hideous to behold. It lashed out at the ex-rurouni with wickedly keen claws, slicing towards him with blows too fast for the normal human eye to follow.

'Iehog's mind has completely been taken over by the demonic body parts he'd just absorbed,' Kenshin deduced as he continued to dodge. Though Iehog could never be anything more than an exceptionally strong Class-D youkai without it, the Body Absorption technique that Randou taught him put him in three classes higher altogether. He could increase his base power tenfold, perhaps even a hundredfold, by the sheer virtue of that simple yet deadly tactic. 'I've got to find a way to counter these unnatural advantages of his somehow.'

Finally, Kenshin found an opening in the being's relentless offense. The redheaded ghost afterwards blurred into a flash of blazing luminosity as he did a complete three-sixty degree turn to add extra momentum to his powerful strike, intending to end the fight early by brusquely decapitating his horrid opponent. Unfortunately, due to extenuating circumstances beyond his control, he hesitated ever so slightly with his attack as Koenma's century-old warning came back to haunt him with inopportune vengeance.

"Tainting the Demon Sword with sin and murder, even that of demons, will condemn your spirit to the Lowest Ranks of Hell far worse than Phlegethon or good ol' Fire and Brimstone. And if that happens, the Hitokiri Battousai will probably take over, and it's good-bye to the noble Himura Kenshin as he is replaced by a madman who helps wreak havoc on the world."

Yusuke's eyes widened after seeing a glimpse into Kenshin's memory. 'Is that the reason why he can't allow me to kill Iehog? Because Koenma told him so? Just who is this ghost anyway? Why would Koenma give him such a strange stipulation!

The split-second of distraction was all Iehog needed. It swatted Kenshin with a backhanded blow from his draconic arm that connected solidly to his ribs. Spinning like a top, the redheaded ghost saw the world as nothing more than a swirl of color and motion as he flew out of control.

"BWAHAHA! What are you going to do now, ghost?" Iehik hooted and hollered in uncontainable excitement. "IEHOG, finish him off so that we can finally get that damned Demon Sword ALREADY!"

Iehog rumbled in concurrence to its brother's orders before it galloped straight towards its hapless target, its horrible arms cocked back and ready to strike.

"Wake up, Kenshin! WAKE UP!" The spinning ghost blinked. It was Kaoru's voice. The hazy image in front of him was definitely her... she with the shiny, dark-blue hair that looked like an icy aurora borealis to his blurry eyes.

Unfortunately, Kenshin's lovely hallucination was suddenly eclipsed by a hurtling, hulking Iehog as the monster stampeded straight towards him; all the same, the revived ghost somehow managed to summon enough sword-ki to meet the charge with a rising strike of his own that took them both backwards.

The ruthless Iehog lashed out offensively, making Kenshin fly backwards like a rag doll, slamming into a wall and shattering the rock with the force of his impact.

That was exactly what happened, except for the whole 'flung like a rag doll whilst shattering wood' part: Kenshin had already faded like the ghost that he was by the time the abomination started his counterstrike. Taking advantage of Iehog's momentary confusion, Kenshin crouched low and dove into the youkai's abdomen, cutting precise spots on its exposed underbelly with surgical precision.

Iehog exploded in a blast of black, acidic ichor and swirling debris that sent a fountain of loose dirt and demon blood from the cracked ground below them, and the youkai was forced back a few steps. Kenshin shifted his grip on his sword, wielding the magical katana like a spear and thrusting its uppermost tip into the monster's temple with all his might. 'Careful, careful: Don't put it in too deep,' he reminded himself.

Iehog shook its mane and roared a throaty bellow that caused even more dirt to shake loose and tumble onto the former vagabond. Its previously unseeing eyes afterwards blinked back into self-awareness; Iehog knelt in the crater made by the impact of the explosive rupture of his blood vessels, his arms outstretched, frozen in a world of unbelievable shock and agony.

Then, his lungs remembered how to breathe, and his heart began to beat once again. Iehog tried to double over, clutch his chest and hack violently. Well, one out of three wasn't so bad. After recovering from his wheezing fit, he stammered, "B-Brother! It hurts so bad! What has that wimpy samurai done to MEEE?"

"It's Demon Anatomy 101, Iehog-dono," Kenshin elucidated as he wiped the nonexistent sweat off of his brow. "Chimeras such as yourself usually make use of special connective tissue that can make all sorts of body parts from different species work as a cohesive unit, even though they shouldn't otherwise. By severing these connections and doing a quick lobotomy of your frontal lobe, I can render your Body Absorption technique moot and void. Your body now perceives your fellow demons as foreign bodies, and it's now trying its best to 'expel' them out of your system."

"B-But that's not FAIR! How can you possibly know about Demon Anatomy? I was already kicking your ass and then some, and now you pull something like _this_? YOU CHEATER!" Iehog whined pathetically as he struggled to make his chimerical body move in futility.

"I'm not the Guardian of the Demon Sword for nothing, y'know. Though my memory is a bit rusty, I can still remember a thing or two about how to disable and immobilize demons with as little effort as possible." Kenshin sighed and allowed himself to relax. "I am Himura Kenshin, also known as the feared Hitokiri Battousai during my time as a human being, but to you demons, I'm more known as the Youkiri Battousai. You're lucky to be alive at all."

"Impossible! The Youkiri Battousai? Here?" Iehik hissed. "I can't believe that the Youkiri Battousai is actually the Demon Sword's Guardian! So that's the reason why you disappeared four decades ago! To think that such a frightening person still exists in this day and age!"

Yusuke scratched his head ponderously. "Battousai the Manslayer? Battousai the Demon Slayer? Who the hell is Battousai anyway?"

Kenshin turned to see all seven or eight heads on Iehog trembling. "Leave. You've lost, and I don't know how long I'll be able to control the boy when he regains his full power. You're lucky that I was the one who faced you."

The last sentence prompted a laugh from Yusuke. "Pal, if I was at full power I'd have hair down to my ass and a couple hundred tattoos around my body." He grunted and faced the monstrosity of Iehog. "But yeah, the samurai's got a point. Beat it."

Despite their ramblings, Iehog's new friends didn't need much in the way of encouragement, and in a manner similar to a three-legged race, he... or they... scrambled out of the cave. Iehik glowered at Kenshin and Yusuke before realizing that it was probably a lost cause.

If the boy could dispatch of his entire squad, even channeled within Iehog, than this would have to wait. "You think you've won, you worthless human, but you didn't. Chojin-sama will hear of this, I swear!" he growled. Yusuke had to resist the urge to chase him down as he scrambled out of the cave, but he still got a good chuckle out of it.

After all the threats to him had vanished, Yusuke sighed and laid down against the side of the cave to rest; first Rando, then some demon with an unpronounceable name. The mazoku prince really did get a lot more than he bargained for with this latest mission.

Kenshin, still enjoying the wonders of being physical, began touching various objects and watching bugs scamper around. He jumped almost five feet into the air, however, when Yusuke began screaming at him. "Why'd you stop me from killing them? You know as well as I do that those things don't deserve the air they're breathing."

Kenshin turned around, his face a strange mixture of pleasantness and resolve. "You aren't to determine who can breathe and who can't," he remarked in a subdued voice, then bowed. "But I am truly grateful to you for keeping my sword safe."

"What's with you and not killing?" Yusuke muttered, flicking a stone around the floor of the cavern. "Sometimes people deserve it."

"Perhaps, but that doesn't mean that wanton killing, which is what you're doing, should go on. I've killed far too many over the years, and I'm not going to let the weak be destroyed by the strong, which you most certainly are," Kenshin justified, sighing as well. It seemed as though every time he ran into a powerful but arrogant fighter, as this boy appeared to be, he had to give this mixture of speech and lecture. 'Ah well,' he thought.

Yusuke, in turn, rolled his eyes. "Jeez, you've got more morals than Kurama, but at least he knew when killing was necessary," he retorted, flashing back to when Kurama gave a certain demon named Roto the fate he deserved. After a few minutes, the boy did a double-take.

"That's not what I meant! You said that there was something aside from moral implications that made you keep me from killing that demon! It's your shtick, but you had to apply it to me as well because we now share a bond with each other or something! Then I saw some sort of flashback of Koenma telling you that you'll go to hell or something if you kill demons! What's with that?' Yusuke moved behind Kenshin and thumped in on the head.

Strangely enough, the both of them reacted to that one thump, with Yusuke getting as big a lump on his head as Kenshin. "What the hell just happened?"

The swirly-eyed swordsman wiped the tears off of his spiraling eyes before clarifying, "Like I said, your spirit energy was what woke me up from my slumber. We now share a bond... an emphatic one, in fact. Whatever you're feeling or thinking, I will feel and know as well, and vice-versa."

Yusuke scowled. "You have got to be kidding me. I'm now stuck with you, Mister Love and Peace? That's just great. I'd slap you silly and run away if it weren't going to hurt me as much as it does you," the younger man admitted frankly. "You're quite strong, though, manhandling that behemoth without slicing him up to ribbons. I guess the reason you're so nice is because you can afford to be nice."

Kenshin could only scratch his head sheepishly at that, somewhat glad that Yusuke wasn't familiar with the bloody history of both versions of the Battousai. "You're one of Koenma-dono's spirit detectives, aren't you? Well, long story short, I was supposed to be sealed in this cave. I assume Koenma-dono sent you here to retrieve me before those thieving demons could get a hold of me. The seal to the Legendary Shrine of the Sword must have been broken or something."

"Former spirit detective, actually; I'm working freelance now." Yusuke pursed his lips. "Those Class-D demons weren't really the true threat to your sword. Before I got here, I had to fight an old enemy of mine to a near standstill despite the fact that he was about three power classes below me. The that fat, old pig of a demon mentioned someone named 'Chojin-sama'. Does that name ring any bells, samurai boy?"

Kenshin helplessly shrugged. "I've heard of that name before, but I was already sealed into this sword before I even discovered who he really was. Sorry."

"Huh. Really? Okay. But enough of that," Yusuke continued, standing up. Actually, he had a million more questions to ask Kenshin, but the mission took precedence. After all, ever since the end of the Makai Tournament, missions had been rather scarce, so he now had a tendency to overdo things nowadays. Even though the Spirit World Barrier had been taken down, it was surprising how little it actually affected the Human World all in all.

"In any case, your sword is safe, so let's just get it back to Koenma so he can patch things up. Besides, I'm sure some friends of mine will want to take a look at that," Yusuke stated as he rubbed his nose with his finger.

Kenshin smiled. "Yes, that would be nice. I haven't been able to experience the living world in..." He took a second to calculate the numbers. "It's been over a hundred years. It will be nice to do that again. By the way, what did you say your name was again?"

"Urameshi. Urameshi Yusuke." Was the reply of Yusuke, who was already beginning to exit the cave. "And you're... Kenshin, right?"

"Yes," Kenshin assented, following the young man out the cave entrance. The two made their way out of the tunnel in near silence as both felt awkward dealing with one who was so different than them, and each had different thoughts running through their mind.

Yusuke was kind of worried about how Kuwabara was currently doing, what with the monumental task he left him with, and Kenshin was wondering what his awakening all meant, seeing that his peace had been undisturbed for a considerable amount of time now.

The short exit from the cave was soon completed, and Yusuke watched as Kenshin gazed at the sky in wonder. "Oh, this is pure beauty," he appraised, sticking his sword back in his sheath and bending down.

* * *

**To be Continued...**

_Next: The true nature of the Demon Sword._

Ah yes; my first cooperative, round-robin fanfic. ^-^ Many thanks to my coauthor Danyal Herder for writing half of the stuff here in the first chapter of Youto Shinnoken, as well as the "Yahiko's Sakabatou" manga forwards. Much coolness, dude. Much coolness.

Kudos goes to Brian Clevinger's "8-Bit Theater" for Rikyone's "Fighter" quotation. Also, I dedicate this fic to the original author; SeventhOne, this concept rocks!

_Ja ne!_  
**Abdiel**


	3. Chapter 2

_A memory from Kenshin's distant past... _

"Kenshin! How does this taste?"

"Hey! Jo-chan! Don't poison Kenshin with that stuff!"

"Hell yeah! Kenshin still has to teach me some more defensive techniques! He can't teach me anything while he's bed-ridden!"

Two loud cracks from a bamboo sword was heard, followed by course language that shouldn't be heard from a prim and proper lady.

Kenshin sighed. How he missed them; how he missed them all.

* * *

**Youtou Shinnoken: Demon Sword**

A Yuyu Hakusho/Rurouni Kenshin fic  
by Chester Castañeda and Danyal Herder

Original concept by Chad Yang

Second chapter! This fic is sort of easier for me to do since there are two authors writing this, but it is also harder for the very same reason. So without further adieu, Chapter 2!

_Disclaimer: Yuyu Hakusho is the rightful property of Yoshihiro Togashi, Shueisha, Fuji TV and St. Pierrot. Rurouni Kenshin is the rightful property of Nobuhiro Watsuki and Sony. Don't sue us please, we are very poor._

* * *

**Chapter 2: Heart of Sword (Part 2)**

* * *

_Back to the present... _

Kenshin examined a blade of grass swaying to the wind and almost began crying. Kenshin's eye caught a raccoon scurrying up a tree. "Oh, I bet Kaoru would like that. No, that's not nice." He grinned to himself.

Yusuke, who had arched an eyebrow while watching Kenshin's antics, still glanced up to the sky to look at it as well. "Yeah, it's a pretty nice day," he reckoned.

When he looked down, he saw Kenshin standing back up and grinning stupidly at him, from ear to ear. "It's a shame that I won't be in this form for too long. Once the situation is cleared of danger, I'll be able to inhabit the sword again for perhaps another century. Still, I'd do anything to see my friends and family back on Earth for a day."

Yusuke couldn't resist a little chortle. "Hey, you never know. I've died twice and was able to return to life both times. Maybe you'll get lucky too, Kenshin."

The ex-rurouni was taken aback. "Oro? How did that happen?" he asked.

"It was pretty crazy, actually. You see..." Yusuke's long-winded story was interrupted by the sound of something flashing past them in the wind. After making a few laps around the top of the cave, it stopped right in front of Yusuke and Kenshin.

Though Kenshin was greatly surprised at what it was, Yusuke didn't break a sweat. It was just a familiar blue-haired, pink-robed girl flying an oar; nothing special or weird about that.

Kenshin narrowed his eyes as a wave of nostalgia filled him. But why? There was absolutely nothing familiar about the shinigami in front of him at all; nothing at all.

"Yusuke, we've got trouble!" the girl wailed.

"What? What's the big deal, Botan? I got the sword, it's safe, and the owner is safe too. Oh, by the way: Kenshin, Botan. Botan, Kenshin," Yusuke hurried through the introductions.

Kenshin bowed. "A pleasure to meet you, my lady. But what, pray tell, is the trouble? Is it about my being out of the sword?"

Botan shook her head. "Right now that's the least of our worries! Both of you, grab onto my oar. I'll take you to the Spirit World and Koenma will explain everything to you."

Yusuke raised an eyebrow, and then turned to Kenshin. "Come on, let's go. Looks like the day, nice as it is, is not yet over," he commented, maintaining his nonchalant attitude. "The sooner we get there, the sooner we'll get this over with."

"Very well." Kenshin nodded, as he reminisced of the first time he ever visited the Spirit World. At any rate, the two climbed on the oar behind Botan, and the spirit guide instantly soared into the air, away from anyone else's sight.

"Ah, Yusuke. Good! You've made it! And you've brought the sword and its guardian too. That's nice," Koenma complimented amicably as he greeted the spirit detective and his red-haired companion. "This is the perfect time for us to attain the abilities of the Demon Sword."

Yusuke skeptically looked at Koenma as he cleaned his ear with his pinky finger. "What the heck is this all about, Koenma? I thought this was just a clean-cut, artifact-gathering type of mission; nothing more to it than that. You certainly didn't say anything about," Yusuke paused for a while as he thumbed towards Kenshin's direction, "him. Or Rando. Or demons that can combine themselves together."

"Ah, of course. I understand," Koenma cooed soothingly as he sweated under the palpable atmosphere of a threat derived from Yusuke's rather excitable demeanor. "Well, actually, the sword was supposed to be kept sealed and some such for centuries to come because of its direct effect on demons. It's..."

Yusuke rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, yeah; it's bad for it to go to the wrong hands, blah, blah, blah, the entirety of the Human World will be in jeopardy, yackity-smackety-smack. Screw that, Koenma. What's the real deal behind the sword without the Spirit World red tape? Whatever this redhead thinks or feels, I do too. What's up with that?"

"Um, excuse me," Kenshin politely interjected, finally getting the attention of both Mazoku Descendant and the Son of the Lord of the Dead. "I _was_ sort of wondering why I am still in a physical form." He gestured towards the sword. "The sword is my 'true' form now. How did I get _this_ sort of flesh and blood type of form; my form when I was still alive?"

Koenma's hazel eyes shifted uneasily from left to right. "I suppose the reason why you were summoned again was because of the incredible amount of reiki Yusuke could handle. I gather his almost unlimited spiritual potential reacted to the sword in a different way than usual. He's not, after all, just a low-level youkai or a higher-echelon demon."

Feeling the intensity of Yusuke's 'What the hell?' gaze, Koenma clarified, "I reckon you could consider Himura-san's manifestation in reaction to your reiki to... well... you and Puu's spiritual connection. To put it in even simpler terms, while you remain near the vicinity of the Demon Sword, Yusuke, Himura-san will remain in the physical realm. Understand?"

Yusuke rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Yeah, whatever. Say, has Kuwabara come back yet? I was so surprised when he suddenly came from out of nowhere and took on Rando, but when I exited the cave, he was nowhere to be found."

Koenma sadly shook his head, and Yusuke's eyes flared. "Don't tell me that Rando actually...!" The half-demon started to call Botan in order to go back to the Legendary Shrine of the Sword (because he had no idea that Kuwabara had actually opened another portal to God-knew-where and threw himself and Rando into it), but Koenma suddenly berated him.

"Yusuke, you moron! Where do you think you're going? Your mission isn't over yet! You can't leave Kenshin like this; you're the holder of the Demon Sword right now, and your priority is to protect it from the Chojin's clutches!"

* * *

This is the first time Kuwabara had ever used the Jigen Tou to open and travel through portals. Kurama had offhandedly pointed out that fact to him during their many meetings together, so he started covertly practicing that very skill in between heavy sessions of college exam studying.

Unfortunately, because of the Blood Wind's frightening aftereffects, he currently could not summon the Jigen Tou, which left him in a very disadvantageous, if not altogether dangerous, position.

Kuwabara unceremoniously fell on his posterior for the umpteenth time against the myriad of afterimages of his opponent. "Damn you, you motherfucking bastard!"

A shrill cackle answered the curly-haired teenager's despairing curses. For an incredibly tough and powerful demon, Rando sure had an irritatingly high-pitched voice.

"I won't forgive you for getting in the way of my revenge against the half-demon." Rando brushed up his thick, red mane hanging over his forehead, revealing a whitened face decorated with various blue tattoos. "It's about time I got my due. Your death will serve as a fitting warning to that arrogant son of a bitch, Urameshi Yusuke."

Kuwabara grunted as he climbed to his feet. It seemed odd that Rando had grown so much stronger, particularly since he had spent quite sometime behind whatever Koenma's version of prison was... or so he assumed, anyway. He wiped his hand across his lip. Yes, he noticed, a little blood was trickling down his quivering mouth. He wasn't worried at the sight of the red liquid, really being more annoyed than anxious as he glared at the demon.

"You got your due a long time ago, bastard," Kuwabara muttered. "What makes you think you can beat me this time?" Instantly, a yellow rod of gleaming energy formed in his right fist; even though he didn't have enough energy to make a Jigen Tou, the Rei-Ken was still a viable option for him to use. "I can control my powers ten times better than when we last fought! Not only that, I defeated one of the Toguro Brothers!"

Rando chortled. "I've heard of your exploits in the Ankoku Bujutsukai. Impressive, I admit. However," he hissed the last word as he rose in the air, above the thick trees that populated the forest outside of area they were in, "you still cannot defeat me."

A flash of glowing red light suddenly appeared and encased his somewhat compact body. Before long, Rando was completely absorbed in an orb of blood-red energy. "How many of my techniques did you see that day? Two? Three? I've got ninety-six more to show you."

Kuwabara bared his teeth. "Bring it on, Rando!" He charged through some shrubs, sword outstretched like a knight on horseback would carry a lance. When he was within striking distance, he jettisoned the Spirit Sword to twice its length. Alas, as it made contact with the fearsome aura surrounding Rando, it instantly dissipated.

Kuwabara gasped. Rando laughed his annoying laugh again. "You're even more pathetic than before!" he shrieked, diving down and planting a huge kick on Kuwabara's face. That, combined with the searing pain of the red energy the young man came into contact with, catapulted him fifteen feet backwards, stopped only by a huge boulder.

"Can't you realize," Rando began, patiently waiting for Kuwabara to climb to his feet, "that Urameshi beat me only by stupid luck? It was a fluke, plain and simple. But you won't be so lucky." He grinned. As he spoke, the sphere of energy began shrinking dramatically. By the time his opponent had regained a vertical base, the red light was the size of a basketball, hovering above his head.

"I shouldn't be surprised that you've survived so far," Rando assessed. "But still, you'll never survive another blast of my BLOOD FIRE WAVE!" As he shouted the last three words, the ball of energy burst into a thousand beams of destructive power, all aimed at Kuwabara. The salvo lasted a few seconds, and when the smoke that formed had cleared, Rando could make out the embers of a few fires that had consequently started.

The demon turned around, content with his revenge. "Pity. I expected more of a fight."

"And you're getting one!" Kuwabara screamed from above. Rando turned back around to see Kuwabara waiting atop the long branch of a tall tree nearby, with a twenty-foot high Rei-Ken next to him.

The boy had used his sword as a pole vault to avoid the attack. Before Rando could respond with a dodge, Kuwabara had leapt from the tree and dealt his own roundhouse kick to the demon's head, causing the latter to fly backwards a few feet, stopping when he grabbed onto another tree to lessen the damage of the crash.

Rando got up, breathing heavily. There was a huge gash on his cheek, and blood was flowing freely. 'How could a human kick do this much damage to me?' he thought incredulously. 'Either I truly have been weakened as a result of my incarceration, or...' Rando eyed the human. 'My fight with Urameshi has taken more of a toll on me than I anticipated. Dammit.'

Wiping his nose, Rando stood up. 'Very good, human; but now...' He moved into his attack stance. "The real fight begins."

Kuwabara followed by bowing into his own fighting posture. "Bring it on, Rando."

* * *

Yusuke halted his exit in mid-step. "I've been hearing that name a lot lately. Will someone tell me who this Chojin fucker is? Is he anything like Toguro or Sensui, or is he more like Sakyo from the Black Book Club?" His eyes narrowed. "Perhaps his sudden appearance has something to do with Enma Daio's impeachment, your rise to power, and your decision to get rid of the barrier between the Demon World and Human World?"

Koenma exhaled laboriously. "I'm rather surprised that you were able to hit the nail right on the head on your first try, but you're correct. The threat of the Chojin has been in the sidelines for so long... about a good century or so... that we thought he'd never strike. But now that there's been a shift of power here in the Spirit World that's caused a lot of people to become restless and discontented, he's found the perfect opportunity to finally make his presence known."

Kenshin watched mutely as Yusuke and Koenma had a silent, if brief, stare-down with each other. "Any particular reason why you've mentioned this supposed threat just now? I remember a certain 'Meikai' incident that was only reported to us Spirit Detectives after the shit has already hit the fan."

"Yusuke, the Spirit World has so many enemies lying in the shadows that it'll be impractical for us to report them to you all at once. We can only wait for each of them to strike at a given time before any of them can be addressed. But since you're so concerned, aside from the Chojin, there's a so-called Church of the True Disciples waiting on the wings to get a crack at us. I'd ask you to investigate, but the Overfiend takes precedence above all else right now."

Yusuke gulped as he wiped the big bead of sweat off his brow. "Okay, I get your point. But still, what about Kuwabara? He said that you asked him to come and help me out with my fight against Rando, but now that he himself could be in grave danger, you won't let me help _him_ out? That's fucked up, dude!"

Koenma, to Yusuke's surprise, held him by the shoulders (the toddler god was standing on his desk at the time) and begged, "Please, you'll just have to trust Kuwabara to beat Rando by himself, because you have a much more important mission to do! To help Kuwabara at this point is to risk getting the sword into the wrong hands, and as of this moment, you're the only one I can trust to safeguard the sword! The Chojin's an evil mastermind that has been covertly gathering forces from the already deceased and turning them into his own Army of the Living Dead. He must never, _ever_ get a hold of the Youtou Shinnoken."

Yusuke raised an eyebrow at Koenma's plea. "Sorry, but you kind of lost me at the 'Army of the Living Dead' thing. What you're saying sounds like the bullshit plot of a cheap B-Movie!" The boy wanted to retort some more, but the (pardon the pun) grave look the Prince of the Dead sported silenced him immediately.

"I have my hands full right now, and Kurama and Hiei are doing their very best to contain the current crisis on the Demon World's side. It may all sound like a joke to you, but we here at the Spirit World take the fact that the Chojin has usurped our jurisdiction over the dead very seriously."

Koenma let go of the teenager, hopped down his table, and started pacing around the room. "Rando had already been executed by orders of my father a long time ago. That demon is supposed to be dead, but the Chojin somehow found a way to capture his evil spirit and include him in his horde of zombies; resurrected abominations that aren't supposed to exist. These deplorable sins against nature will seriously unhinge the Natural Order, so the sooner we figure out how to use the Demon Sword against the Chojin, the better our chances of restoring balance to the three worlds."

Yusuke clenched his fists so tightly, his knuckles turned white. "So you're serious about this? You want me to abandon my friend in his time of need against a demon that nearly defeated me because you're afraid of some guy's zombie army?"

"Please, for the Spirit World's sake, trust in Kuwabara's skills and protect the Demon Sword. You may be the key in unlocking its true abilities, the same way that you were the one who was able to unleash the power of the Meikai Sphere and defeat the Nether World God, Yakumo. I beg of you; stand firm, keep faith, and fulfill this mission. We don't have much time left."

Frustrated, Yusuke scratched his head hard before relenting, "Fine, fine; I'll just have to trust that Kuwabara will get through Rando now that I've softened that demon up for him. Now, what do you want me to do with the peacenik samurai and his sword?"

"Go with Botan and have Genkai take a look at that sword. Your master was the one who helped me seal the sword's power about forty years ago, so she'll know what's the best course of action in unleashing its fearsome power yet again," Koenma commanded before jumping back to his office chair, happy that the tense situation was finally settled.

"So everything is set? Good," Koenma declared, nodding to himself in a self-congratulatory manner. "Yusuke, take care of the sword and bring it to Genkai. I'm sure you and Himura-san will get along fine."

"Koenma-dono," Kenshin finally spoke after his lengthy period of contemplative silence, which immediately got the attention of his two compatriots. "I didn't realize that I was sealed up for forty years. Does it have something to do with the stipulation that you made forbidding me to kill demons and humans alike?"

Yusuke turned towards Koenma in askance. "What's he talking about, Koenma?" To Kenshin, he queried, "Is that the reason why you stopped me from killing Iehog? Because I was the holder of the sword, and I could have indirectly been responsible for you breaking some sort of condition I even didn't know about?"

Koenma couldn't help but sigh yet again as Yusuke and Kenshin confronted him for a second time. "Okay, fine. If it's going to help convince you two to go through with my request, then I'll tell you the whole story behind the Youtou Shinnoken. It started about a century or so ago, when I was judging the ultimate fate of Himura Kenshin-san's recently deceased soul..."

* * *

_Another memory from Kenshin's distant past... _

Lord Koenma, the acting Administrator for the Spirit World, sat before Kenshin with a grave look on his puerile face. As the judge, jury, and executioner of the fates of all souls, he had quite the responsibility over his shoulders. Case in point was this one very special case he had during the latter parts of the year 1878:

"Himura Kenshin. For all the murders, assassinations, and crimes against humanity that you've committed in your lifetime, I, Koenma Daio, shall now sentence you to an eternity of suffering in Level 16, Block 1 of the Corporeal Punishments Sector: You and all the rest of the Sinners of Violence shall be boiled in Phlegethon, the River of Blood found in the entranceway of the River Styx's Left Fork," the diminutive prince stated with uncertain finality after retrieving and carefully reviewing the former vagabond's file from the Book of Fate itself.

The recently deceased Kenshin accepted his sentence in all humility, his head bowed down low on the ground in utter acquiescence; in his mind, it was fitting for a man who made it rain blood to be _boiled_ in a river of blood as castigation for all his crimes. There was a twisted but apt irony to the punishment, when one thought about it.

Koenma cleared his throat, his eyes twinkling impishly for some reason. "HOWEVER, since you've done quite a lot to atone for many of your past sins... your ten-year sabbatical where you vowed never to murder again and the resulting good deeds you've done during and after that period, in particular... I've decided to, well, _lighten_ your sentence a bit. It's only fair." The toddler got up from his desk and started to deliberately pace around the stooping, bemused Kenshin. "Your new sentence: an eternity of community service by becoming the guardian of a newly-forged, demon-slaying Reikai Artifact, the Youtou Shinnoken."

* * *

"I've heard rumors of Urameshi's other companions. The powerful Jaganshi Hiei and his Kokuryuha technique; the cruel Youko Kurama and his demonic plant manipulation; now those are worthy opponents to beat. But you," Rando sneered, "you're nothing. Less than nothing. Disappear from my midst."

The red-haired youkai merely tuned out the oncoming exclamations from the curly-haired boy afterwards. He flippantly looked at the wiped blood on his thumb; blood from the wound he got from Kuwabara's kick. "Humph."

"Spirit Guillotine!" Rando suddenly roared. A flat energy disk ripped in front of him, charging forward like a furious wave. After traveling about twenty feet, it disappeared instantly and reappeared next to him.

Kuwabara clutched his leg and his shoulder to keep more of his blood from spilling out. He was beginning to sense the onset of shock and panic as has arm began to become limp and his leg numbed. He was afraid that the muscles and tendons of his appendages might be permanently damaged, all because of a fight with one youkai that just refused to die.

"What's the matter, human?" Rando asked, smirking. "Why don't you block my special attack with your negligibly useful Rei-Ken?" the demon hooted. "My Spirit Guillotine attack was developed to counter even Urameshi's Rei-Gan; a superior technique than yours! It can cut through even reiki! How could you stand a chance against me now?"

"SHUT... THE FUCK... UP!" Kuwabara roared as he awkwardly sprinted and limped towards Rando, summoning yet another Rei-Ken in hopes of getting close enough for a strike.

"Spirit Guillotine," Rando simply announced, gently savoring the words. He easily sliced through the Rei-Ken and most of the flesh of Kuwabara's forearm. Kuwabara howled in utter agony.

"Fool. You knew that it can even cut through reiki. You never stood a chance." Rando leered, though he sweated profusely from all his efforts. 'Good. I have the human where I want him. My strength is near depleted. Too bad he has no new attacks for me to steal, but just as well; he is, after all, the weak link of the so-called Urameshi Team.'

"Damn... you... I... can... take you... on... just... you... wait...!" Kuwbara growled as his blood was spilled mercilessly on the ground. 'Damn. I thought he'd still be just a lower class youkai. I never realized that he'd improve so much! This technique is certainly a thousand times less cowardly than the one he used against me once upon a time, in Genkai's tournament.'

"Finally, I shall get my revenge," Rando affirmed proudly as he summoned yet another Spirit Guillotine. "It's time for you to die, human."

"You're deluded. For someone who's hell-bent on getting revenge on Urameshi, you sure are taking your sweet time with killing me. From what I can see, most of your attacks still mean less that nothing to me. Hell, I was able to get a hit! You think you can actually survive Urameshi, knowing that you can barely survive me?" Kuwabara reasoned, finally regaining most of his composure back.

"Is that so?" Rando drawled through his grit teeth as he slashed Kuwabara anew, mercilessly mutilating the hapless Spirit Detective... all the same, the adolescent didn't even give him the benefit of a scream of pain this time around.

"Actually, I see it all in a more different light," Rando sneered after he was finished with his heartless acts, the smell of burnt flesh emanating all around the area. "I'm just following the code and edicts of the Art of War; attack the weak link of the enemy. You're the weakest link, human."

Now it was Kuwabara's turn to fume. "You son of a bitch."

Rando smirked. 'No. I don't need to worry about the current condition of my body. I can take on this human. I'll have enough strength to bring him, the jaganshi, the youko, and the hanyou known as Urameshi Yusuke down for the count. I can take them all on!' To Kuwabara, he forewarned, "It's now time for my final strike," as he aimed his technique directly towards the teenager's neck.

* * *

"Seriously? You made Kenshin promise never to kill any living thing again by placing him in a sword designed to kill demons? WHAT THE FUCK WERE YOU THINKING?" Yusuke demanded as he clutched Koenma's collar and lifted the tyke up in midair. "And you can't honestly expect me to believe that Kenshin was an expert assassin a century ago! I mean, just look at him!"

Both Yusuke and Koenma turned to stare at Kenshin, with the swordsman blinking innocently in kind.

"SEE?" Yusuke seethed as he started to shake the toddler, but his basic paternal instincts of not abusing weak children... even thousands-of-years-old princes... kept him from shaking the Spirit World Son of God too hard.

"But Yusuke, I had no choice but to do that to Himura-san! His kismet was such that it had equal amounts of good and bad karma. On one hand, he'd helped save hundreds of lives with his good deeds and ten-year-long non-killing vow. On the other hand, he'd murdered just about an equal amount of lives and ruined many others' in his three year career as an Ishin Shishi Hitokiri.

"Placing him in the Demon Sword as penance is the best way to cleanse his soul! Besides, he himself eventually agreed with my decision, despite his earlier misgivings. Like you, I don't trust anyone else to serve as guardian to the Youtou Shinnoken except Himura-san!"

Yusuke let go of Koenma and turned towards Kenshin. "Really? You agreed to all this?"

Kenshin nodded serenely to Yusuke's insistent questions. "I did. Don't ask me why; it's a long story, but suffice it to say that I was willing to take the responsibility of making sure the Demon Sword is only used for the benefit on mankind."

From there, the redheaded spirit addressed Koenma, venturing, "I was kind of wondering what was the reason for the sealing of my sword by this Genkai person, Koenma-dono. I remember the sword and myself being used for a couple of missions here and there, but I never remembered a 'Genkai' in any of them. Did I somehow fail in my mission to keep the sword pure and untainted?"

Koenma cleared his throat as both Yusuke and Kenshin warily watched his curious reaction. "I'm afraid you'll have to ask Genkai-shihan about it." He scuttled back to his seat. "Go ahead and call Botan now. You need to get there as fast as you can."

Yusuke shook his head as he and Kenshin exchanged a knowing look; it seemed like once again, Koenma was hiding something important from them, and the only way for them to find out the truth was to experience its consequences firsthand. "Fine. I'll call her. HEY BOTAN! C'mere."

Within an instant, Botan appeared on her oar, grinning from ear to ear. "Yes, Yusuke? Did I miss anything important?"

"No, I just want you to take me back to the Human World. Keiko wants me to see a movie with her, and I'm already late." Yusuke groaned.

"Movie?" Kenshin queried curiously. "I heard a couple of things about these 'movies' in the Spirit World, here and there, but I've never actually saw one. What exactly are they, pardon my asking?"

Yusuke, not in the mood for a lesson in modern technology, just shrugged. "Think of a play, but not live and recorded on film so that you can watch it over and over again."

Kenshin was still confused, but nodded dumbly.

Yusuke rolled his eyes. "Figures. Botan, just take me home." He was met with a whack to his head from Botan's oar. He glared at her angrily. "Hey! What was that for?"

"You could be a little more polite when people ask you things like that!" the ferry-girl lectured, fuming. "Kenshin! What's the matter? Who hit you?"

"You did, ma'am!" the swirly-eyed swordsman declared as he gingerly touched the lump on his head.

Yusuke moaned in pain. "I really wish the Demon Sword didn't affect us this way; this "shared pain" shit is getting old. I've had enough of that crap from Puu, pardon the pun."

"W-Wait a minute? A date?" Koenma sputtered, shocked by the sudden turn of events. "But Yusuke, the sword...!"

"Relax, Koenma. When it comes to visiting granny's temple, the more, the merrier! Besides, what's the worse that could happen? It's not like anybody's going to die or anything; we're just going there to find out more about the Demon Sword," Yusuke reassured, but Koenma's next few words made him rethink his statement.

"Yusuke, Genkai's about to die; for real, this time. You have to get to her before she finally rests in peace."

* * *

"It's now time for my final strike," Rando suddenly declared as he let the Spirit Guillotine fall towards his opponent's direction.

As the long, thin ki-blade neared Kuwabara's neck, the orange-haired boy's life passed before his eyes, freezing in one particular moment in time; one memory that was forever etched in his mind.

A vision of Yusuke soon appeared in Kuwabara's mind's eye.

'Am I really the weak link?'

It was a familiar apparition from a familiar memory.

'Am I really just in everybody's way?'

It was the memory of Yusuke walking away from him after one of their fights that Kuwabara usually lost.

'Answer me, Urameshi!'

"You moron. Didn't you know that I've never held back on you in any of our fights? That's the only reason you lost," Yusuke seemed to say inside Kuwabara's head.

That was the very thing Kuwabara wanted to know as he held up one hand and shouted words of thunder.

"JIGEN TOU!"

* * *

After a few minutes of teleportation and flying around, the trio of Yusuke, Botan, and Kenshin arrived in a small, grassy field about two miles outside of Tokyo; Botan knew that Kenshin was still very new to this modern world, and wanted him to soak up as much as he could before being blown away by what Tokyo had become.

Kenshin, as Koenma had requested before they left, tried to remain within ten feet of Yusuke at all times, just to make sure that his form remained corporeal for the time being.

"Here we are! Back on Earth!" Botan giggled, making her oar disappear in a flash. Kenshin beamed and took a deep breath, inhaling all the air. "Oh, this is truly wonderful, Botan-dono." He took a few steps forward and began examining the insect life on the ground, watching in apparent fascination as an army of red ants munched on a decaying bird.

Yusuke rolled his eyes. "You're getting a lot out of stuff like this, aren't you?" he asked, only the smallest bit curious. He was anxious to get the whole Demon Sword situation over with as soon as possible so he could finally tend to his food stand.

Kenshin stood up and nodded. "My apologies for keeping you waiting; we can go now." He noticed something in the sky and looked at it, mystified. It looked something like a bird, but it was moving incredibly fast and making a lot of noise. Botan tried explaining what it was, but she had to wait before it passed over them completely to avoid the huge amount of noise it created.

When the plane passed, Kenshin looked at his two new companions. "What was that flying metal bird, pardon my asking? More technology from this century?"

Botan nodded, grinning ear to ear. "That's called an airplane, and it's the way most humans travel when going long distances. They're able to fly those all over the world now, and much quicker than a ship or train. I was on one once, just to see what it would be like." She tittered again. "It was fun."

Kenshin nodded. "What do they run on? It can't be coal like trains do."

"Jet engines," Yusuke divulged a bit impatiently.

The answer prompted a confused look from Kenshin. "...Jet engine? My pardons, but I don't know of what you speak of."

Yusuke looked down in despair. "It's another kind of... Look, it'll take a century just to tell you about the stuff from this century, so let's leave it for later, okay?" Just as before, Yusuke wasn't particularly interested in lectures on everyday things like microwaves and washing machines.

Kenshin nodded politely. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be so pushy in regard to these new inventions. I was curious, is all. Anyway, let's go."

The three departed for a rarely used backstreet that would lead to Tokyo, as Botan had explained. The ferry-girl and Yusuke walked in front, while Kenshin stayed behind to continue observing everything.

"You know, Yusuke," Botan mumbled quietly as Kenshin enjoyed gazing at a bird fluttering from tree to tree, "it really wouldn't take too much out of you to treat Kenshin a little nicer. Don't you think that if you got transported to the future, you'd want to know about what's happened since then?"

Yusuke sighed. "Maybe, but there are thousands of things that are around that weren't when that guy was alive, and I just don't want to become his History teacher."

"You don't have to, but when we get to Tokyo, you know he'll have a lot of questions for you, so just humor him and knock it off...!" Botan stopped when she saw Kenshin glancing at the two of them curiously. Sheepishly, the ferry-girl hoped that Kenshin hadn't heard what they were saying.

"Ah! Here we are!" Botan exclaimed, catching both of her companions' attentions.

"What is it, Botan?" Yusuke asked.

Botan walked away from the road, which led further down the small hill they were on. From there, she headed to a nearby cliff that was used as a parking lot for cars passing through. She waved for the two men to join her. As they did, she sighed. "It's a nice view, isn't it? You can see a good panorama of the city from here."

Kenshin, able to see for several miles in front of him, was speechless. As he gazed at the incredible sight in front of him, his mouth dropped, as if what he saw totally stupefied him. "This... This is..." was all he could muster. Botan, knowing that that would be his reaction, chuckled.

"Surprised, huh?" she inquired, taking his hand. "It's changed since you were last here, if you couldn't tell. Kenshin, welcome back to Tokyo."

Kenshin looked dumbstruck for a bit as he looked at Botan's hand, his mouth forming a little 'o' of shock. He smiled a bit, as if somehow this was what was supposed to happen in his life... his past life... the sort of thing that _ should_ have happened after he fought Shishio.

Regrets; so many 'if onlys.' But they had no place in his so-called life now. Yet, it could have happened this way, if only he could have survived Shishio, then perhaps...

* * *

They went as one toward the dojo. Kenshin remembered each and everyone of them well; his friends, his family. Sanosuke was there with his manly swagger and uncouth demeanor; then there was Yahiko, who was currently trying to put up a posture that was worthy of a Tokyo Samurai descendant; then there was Kaoru, who was looking wistfully at the horizon.

Or perhaps she was actually gazing at the nearby grove; a grove populated seasonally with hundreds of fireflies, the grove where he and she...

Kenshin sighed, a mixture of guilt and nostalgia in him.

Afterwards, Kaoru looked towards him and smiled a heartbreaking smile. She tilted her head to the side and offered her hand, saying, "Welcome back, Kenshin."

Kenshin flashed an equally poignant smile, took hold of Kaoru's hand, and replied, "I'm home."

Perhaps it could have happened that way, couldn't it?

* * *

Yusuke could only stare at Kenshin and Botan in dumbstruck silence as they held each other's hands, seemingly frozen in time. The raven-haired boy then shook his head and quipped, "Hey, are you two finished?"

Botan quickly let go of Kenshin's hand, unconsciously pushing the redhead off of her in embarrassment.

"ORO!"

...Not realizing that she had just shoved the spirit to a nearby tree. A low thud was heard as head connected to bark.

"Oh my! Kenshin! Are you all right? I'm so sorry!" Botan worriedly inquired to the swirly-eyed former wanderer.

Yusuke sighed sullenly as he rubbed his bleeding nose and throbbing head, cursing the Demon Sword's ability to make him emphatic of Kenshin's pain. Of course, he also perceived Kenshin's tear-jerking flashback of regret, but he gave those mental images no heed.

* * *

Rando barely had time to avoid the Jigen Tou's trajectory as it cut through his precious Spirit Guillotine like it was made out of paper. "WHAT THE HELL? You were supposed to be sapped of spiritual power!"

"Get with the program," Kuwabara rasped as he struggled to get up. "I'm willing to risk my life and use my _life force_ to kill you, because that's the way a real man fights!"

"Ridiculous! You merely swung that sword at thin air, and yet it was still able to destroy my Spirit Guillotine and split the ground at the same time? What sorcery is this?"

Kuwabara snorted derisively, though at this point he could barely stand up as it was. "Figure it out for yourself, dumbass. The name says it all."

'I know what it is, human; it's a sword that can cut through spaces and dimensions as well as slice through faraway objects. In fact, it's what you used to make that portal earlier.' Rando narrowed his eyes. 'What I don't get is how a mere human could develop such a high-level attack. Perhaps he's not the small fry I thought he was after all.'

"Give up and go back to hell," Kuwabara deadpanned as he pointed the Jigen Tou at Rando's face. "You look smart enough to figure out the secret of this sword, so know you now that at this point you couldn't even defeat the 'weakest link' of Urameshi team, which only means that you're even weaker than the weakest link. It's over."

The red-haired, pasty-skinned youkai looked nonplussed for a bit before he chuckled darkly. "No. Not yet. Not until I've tried it for myself."

"What do you...?" Kuwabara blubbered.

"JIGEN TOU!" Rando yelled as he formed his own version of Kuwabara's attack, swinging it directly at the trajectory of the Reikai Tantei's own reflexive strike.

* * *

"You're late!" Keiko berated, tapping her foot impatiently while her arms were crossed. Her dress billowed in the wind dramatically.

"Yeah, well, Koenma had me do some more of his stupid missions. Jeez, you think he could have just let go of me after the Makai Unification Tournament, but no..." Yusuke's face brightened. "Oh yeah! Then we don't have to watch that stupid romantic movie? All right!"

The crackle of a painful slap was heard a block away.

Tears streamed down Kenshin's eyes as the glow of Keiko's slap somehow made his cross-shaped scar become redder than before.

"You won't skip out on me this time, Yusuke!" Keiko pledged determinedly, flinging a wicker basket in front of Yusuke's hand-imprinted face.

"Eh? What's this for?" Yusuke queried, blinking confusedly.

"See? I planned ahead. We're going on a picnic," Keiko cheered, her demeanor immediately changing.

Yusuke simply groaned at his overly-sappy girlfriend. 'Oh man.' He noticed the inquiring look on his girlfriend's face. "What is it, Keiko?"

"Who's your red-haired friend, Yusuke? Is he one of your acquaintances from one of those tournaments of yours?" Keiko queried curiously, her head tilted inquisitively at the apparent stranger.

'Oh boy. How am I going to explain this one?' Yusuke thought as he observed the unsaid awkwardness between Kenshin and Botan, both looking at the opposite direction of each other in apparent unease.

Seeing the puzzled look on Keiko's face, Yusuke chose that particular moment to fill in his significant other on some of the details of his latest mission.

"Long story. He, Himura Kenshin, is a guardian of some powerful Reikai artifact and shit, if you could believe that. Koenma sent me to act as babysitter to him and his lame-ass sword for a while, and..." Yusuke stopped in mid-sentence as he saw the shadow of a glare on Keiko's usually soft features. 'Uh-oh. I don't know what's going on, but I don't like that glare.'

'Oh boy, I knew it. Keiko's giving Yusuke her _three or more is a crowd_ glare, and the clueless, moronic and insensitive oaf might just blow it by making yet another one of his _witty_ comments,' Botan reckoned as she worriedly looked at Yusuke's slowly opening mouth. 'Uh-oh! It's almost _foot in his mouth_ time for Yusuke! I better act fast!'

Not really thinking about what she was doing, Botan suddenly grabbed Kenshin by the arm and blurted out, "It's okay, Keiko-chan! He's with me! Kenshin and I are going on a double date with you!"

Stray leaves floated past the two hushed 'couples.'

"Er, my pardons; Keiko-dono, correct? It's a pleasure to meet you, that it is," Kenshin immediately interposed as he did his best to allay Botan's sudden accidental outburst.

"Y-Yes. It's a pleasure to meet you too, um, Himura-san," Keiko stuttered uncertainly, her eyes darting back and forth at the strange red-haired person and Botan. 'Eh? Double date?'

"My pardons, Keiko-dono; you need not be so formal. I would be perfectly happy to simply be referred to as Kenshin," Kenshin assured.

Keiko's eyes lighted up as her cheeks became pink after experiencing Kenshin's politeness, which elicited an unconscious frown on Yusuke's mouth.

"Sometimes I wish you could be as polite as Botan's date is," Keiko berated Yusuke jokingly, a subtle blush on her cheeks as he merely rolled his eyes; although he did have enough decency to discreetly squeeze her hand in acknowledgement to her request.

Speaking of couples holding hands, Botan was quite painfully aware of _that_ and the fact that Keiko called Kenshin her date. Beet-red, she whispered to Kenshin, "This is all for Keiko-chan and Yusuke's sake; don't get any funny ideas, samurai."

Kenshin merely gave the blue-haired girl a uplifting beam. "Yes, ma'am. Of course not," earning him a discreet yet brief small smile from his receptive audience.

For an instant, a flash of Kaoru's face was superimposed on Botan's face in Kenshin's mind.

Kenshin shook his head from his brief reverie. 'Silly thoughts; things to be done, things already done. I cannot go back to my past anymore. What's done is done, after all. But...' He unconsciously clutched Botan's hand as the two followed Yusuke and Keiko's lead toward the park. 'Let me enjoy this _what if_ even for a little while longer.'

Due to the present circumstances, the foursome didn't at all notice the crimson eyes that espied them the entire time, its orbs filled with malicious intent.

* * *

Many, many miles away, inside yet another cave...

"Boss Iehik! We found the sword again! It's in the hands of that pesky human from before," a blue-eyed, blond-haired, fair-skinned demon reported.

"Very good, Bi. Your ability to blend into the Human World is commendable. Now off with you; my brother and I have important things to discuss," Iehik ordered, waving off his spy offhandedly. To Iehog, he inquired, "I really don't see how human's could consider the likes of Bi as 'attractive.' Blech. Did you see that pale, soft skin? Disgusting."

"Whatever, big brother. What about the sword? That really powerful half-demon still has it! What are we going to do?" Iehog demanded, slamming his fist on a nearby boulder, breaking it into many, many pieces.

"Patience, little one. Patience," Iehik cooed, grinning. "We'll get our due. Besides, like I've always said..."

Iehog rolled his eyes. "Yes, yes. You have a plan. But you sure are taking your sweet time in executing this supposed plan of yours," he bitterly retorted.

Iehik cackled maniacally. "It's all right, little brother. One of our employers is currently gathering information for us already. All we have to do is wait for him and his further instructions and we'll be ready."

Iehog seemed to consider this. "I've got to admit, if we have backup, then yeah, you do think of everything, big brother."

Iehik harrumphed. "Of course I would."

* * *

Kuwabara looked numbly at his Jigen Tou as its broken pieces dissipated into thin air. 'My strongest attack was defeated by that asshole's copycat technique! Dammit!' His wounds flared in pain yet again as he cautiously eyed the thicker-looking Jigen Tou Rando was currently sporting, with only one word on his lips. "How?"

Rando smirked. "You look like a smart lad. Figure it out for yourself."

Kuwabara's head raced with many wild conclusions, but the most apparent one was Rando's basic copycat techniques. "Jackass. That Spirit Guillotine of yours is a combination of all the ki-blade techniques you've seen, including my Rei-Ken. Now you've stolen my Jigen Tou technique and fused it with your lame-ass one!"

"Correct," Rando proclaimed proudly. "My Jigen Tou is superior to yours because it can also cut through reiki, which is what your Dimension Sword is made of." He chuckled maliciously. "This fight is definitely over now."

"Fucking asshole! You can't even create your own lines! You're a copycat through and through!" Kuwabara sneered, even though his heavily-damaged body was now shaking like a leaf.

"Yeah? Well this copycat is about to send your ass back to your employer, Koenma. Good-bye!"

Rando stopped at mid-strike once he realized something was wrong... very wrong. "Shit."

His body was suddenly cut in half, blood spurting everywhere.

'The Jigen Tou of the human has already cut me in half all along and I didn't even realize it!'

Kuwabara, in a sudden burst of desperation upon seeing that small window of opportunity, charged toward the nearly mutilated Rando, his fists flailing wildly. "Your time has run out, you low-class demon!"

Rando felt his youki reserves drop dramatically upon receiving the pummeling blows of his opponent. He had no choice this time; though using it again would result in a great sacrifice to his constitution, he had to do that final attack of his.

Tapping upon the energy stored within his tainted blood, he chanted, "BLOOD WIND!"

* * *

_A clearer look into Kenshin's distant past..._

Koenma Daio, the acting Overseer for the Spirit World, sat before Kenshin with a solemn look on his infantile face. As the judge, jury, and executioner of the fates of all souls, he had quite the intimidating task on his shoulders. Case in point was this one special case he had during the latter parts of the year 1878:

"Himura Kenshin. For all the murders, assassinations, and crimes against humanity that you've committed in your lifetime, I, Koenma Daio, shall now sentence you to an eternity of suffering in Level 16, Block 1 of the Corporeal Punishments Sector: You and all the rest of the Sinners of Violence shall be boiled in Phlegethon, the River of Blood found in the entranceway of the River Styx's Left Fork," the pint-sized prince declared with hesitant finality after retrieving and meticulously evaluating the former vagabond's file from the Book of Fate itself.

The recently departed Kenshin accepted the verdict in all humbleness, his head bowed down low on the ground in complete submission; in his mind, it was fitting for a man who made it rain blood to be _boiled_ in a river of blood as punishment for all his crimes. There was a twisted but apt irony to the sentence, when one thought about it.

Koenma cleared his throat, his eyes twinkling impishly for some reason. "HOWEVER, since you've done quite a lot to atone for many of your past sins... your ten-year sabbatical where you vowed never to murder again and the resulting good deeds you've done during and after that period, in particular... I've decided to, well, _lighten_ your sentence a bit. It's only fair."

The toddler got up from his desk and started to deliberately stride around the stooping, bemused Kenshin. "Your new sentence: an eternity of community service by becoming the guardian of a newly-forged, demon-slaying Reikai Artifact, the Youtou Shinnoken."

Kenshin's head shot up at the surprising turn of events. "Oro? A-Are you sure about that, Lord Koenma? I mean, my non-killing vow doesn't really change the fact that I've murdered countless of husbands, fathers, sons, brothers, fiances..." The former hitokiri's voice faltered as he bit his lip in remembrance of Akira Kiyosato, Tomoe Yukishiro, and Enishi Yukishiro.

Kenshin squeezed his eyes shut; for him to have died so early, when he still had so much to atone for... Dammit. "I cannot accept such a fate... not in good conscience, at the very least. Please, do reconsider...!"

The centuries-old child hushed Kenshin by simply taking hold of the swordsman's hair and ruffling it gently. "You're a good man, Himura Kenshin-san, and an even nobler spirit. I can't just mercilessly throw you into Phlegethon, knowing all the good you've done for the sake of your own salvation. I've made up my mind. Guardianship of the Demon Sword is now your ultimate fate; the eternal symbol of your penitence."

Koenma nodded to himself, let go of Kenshin, and was about to make his way back to his desk when he dramatically pivoted on his tiny little boots, did a perfect one-eighty turn, and performed a cheesy yet strangely impressive spit-take.

"NEVERTHELESS, since your soul is currently in between salvation and damnation, tainting its future vessel... the Demon Sword... with sin and murder, even that of demons, will condemn your spirit to the Lowest Ranks of Hell far worse than Phlegethon or good ol' Fire and Brimstone."

The metaphorical youngster paused as he readjusted the pacifier in his mouth. "And if that happens, the Hitokiri Battousai will probably take over, and it's good-bye to the noble Himura Kenshin as he is replaced by a madman who helps wreak havoc upon the world."

* * *

**To be Continued...**

_Next: The Immortal Wolf._

_Ja ne!  
_**Abdiel**


	4. Chapter 3

**Youtou Shinnoken: Demon Sword**

A Yuyu Hakusho/Rurouni Kenshin fic  
by Chester Castañeda and Danyal Herder

Original concept by Chad Yang

Chapter Three, folks! Things are really starting to heat up by now, and much to my contentment, we're finally starting to throw in more characters from both sides. Oh, and by the way, I'm Danyal, the _other_ author of this story.

_Disclaimer: Yuyu Hakusho is the rightful property of Yoshihiro Togashi, Shueisha, Fuji TV and St. Pierrot. Rurouni Kenshin is the rightful property of Nobuhiro Watsuki and Sony. Don't sue us please. We are very poor._

* * *

**Chapter 3: Heart of Sword (Part 3)**

* * *

The pink elephant hanging around the trio of Kenshin, Botan, and Yusuke was the fact that Genkai was about to perish within a month's time, just as the panicky Koenma had informed them. They dared not address it, but it was definitely in their minds... or at least in Yusuke and Botan's minds, since Kenshin barely knew the old woman. On the other hand, Keiko was blissfully ignorant of the situation.

But of course, aside from the ignored pink elephant, yet another animal of concern... a monkey on the shoulder, if you will... was presently bothering a certain preoccupied Angel of Death.

Botan felt a bit awkward around Kenshin's presence, but she tried anxiously to compose herself. 'Just because he pulled that _weird_ holding-hands thing after seeing Tokyo and stuff doesn't mean that he's actually interested in me or anything. He must have been thinking of something else.'

"Incredible! Horseless carriages!" Kenshin cheered, his eyes as wide as saucers. "What great developments! This new century really is quite a sight to behold; so many innovations in technology! I wonder how those cars run. Do you have any idea, Yusuke-dono?"

"Yusuke don't know," Yusuke offhandedly quipped, his eyes half-lidded as he deliberately ignored Kenshin's excited pleas and inquiries. 'Jeez. People would think that he was raised and trained in the mountains or something.' To Kenshin, he responded, "I never really had any interest in those kind of things."

"Actually, Kenshin-san, the reason they're running is because they're powered by fossil fuels," Keiko explained matter-of-factly. "I'm surprised you didn't know about this."

"It's because he's, er, been under a rock, so to speak," Botan remarked with a weak laugh, thinking, 'Or stuck to a rock on an altar inside a remote cave in Japan, but never mind.'

"Oro? Fossil fuels?" Kenshin further inquired, blinking. "What are those?"

"Oh, y'know, crude oil? The by-products of that can be used for many things."

"Oil, huh? I think I understand now." Kenshin nodded, his expression turning grim. 'It's the black, inky substance in Shishio's battle arena; he predicted that the industrialized countries are going to make good use of oil to spearhead an Industrial Revolution. It seems that he was right on that part all along.'

"Hey, Kenshin! What's the matter? What are you thinking?" Yusuke concernedly asked before an impish glint flashed in his eyes. "Are you imagining what Botan would look like nude?"

That little statement earned Yusuke a paddling from Botan. "WHAT THE HELL IS IN THAT DIRTY LITTLE MIND OF YOURS? WHY THE HELL WOULD HE THINK THAT!"

"Jeez! Relax, will you? It's normal for guys to think that, even if they're hundred-year-old spirits. Why, I was just thinking the same thing about Keiko just now."

A noise akin to that of the crack of a whip was heard as a flat hand connected to an already reddened cheek. "Pervert!"

"Ow! Don't hit me on the same cheek!"

Because of the bond Yusuke and Kenshin shared, the displaced soul was currently moving around like a punch-drunk boxer. "Look at that! It's another flying metal bird! It's called an airplane, is it not? Incredible, I say!" he slurred as he pointed at a sheep-shaped cloud.

Botan could only sigh in dismay under the given circumstances.

* * *

"Boss Iehik, the employer is here!"

Iehik nodded to Bi. "So where is he already?"

"Like I said, he's here!" Bi reiterated.

"Don't toy with me, Bi! I have no patience left for this nonsense! Where is our great benefactor and employer?" Iehik irritably demanded as several large veins popped up on his considerable forehead.

The effeminate Bi merely scratched the back of his head as he clarified, "Here he is," showing his open palm and revealing a six-inch-sized little demon with pasty white skin and red hair.

Iehik could only stare in shock. "R-Rando-sama?"

* * *

Kuwabara tiredly scoured the entirety of his surroundings, the uprooted trees, and the inside of the spiral-shaped crater that resulted from his nemesis' last attack, but there was simply no sign of his opponent. "Dammit. Mission failed. Some Class-B he was; that demon is at least a fucking Class-A, or even higher."

Exhaustion caught up with him as he collapsed at the center of the crater, the darkness quickly overwhelming his vision.

* * *

The demon hopped off the palm of Bi and landed on the ground, which was an impressive feat considering how high he was in proportion to the size of his body. The three lower demons crouched on their knees and watched as Rando clasped his hands together, eyes closed as if in prayer.

Within a few moments, Rando was growing, and soon he regained the height that the others were accustomed to. He opened his eyes and scowled at the dumbstruck demons.

"Don't waste your puny brainpower thinking about that; it's just one of my many talents," Rando spat, brushing his long hair aside and glancing at the newly-formed wounds on his body.

"Yes, yes, Rando-sama! We all bow to your great talent and power!" Iehog wheedled, bawling in what the others figured was either pride, fear, or both.

"As you should," Rando merely harrumphed. He gazed around his surroundings. As usual, his lackeys had thought it appropriate to meet in yet another cave. 'It seemed as though the only place lower demons are comfortable in are caves,' he snorted to himself. He turned back to his three servants. "Well? Get on with it. What news have you brought me?"

Iehik himself bowed down. "We tracked down the sword that you requested, but it was intercepted by a human much more powerful than us! Also, the guardian of the sword who calls himself Himura Kenshin has gotten in our way as well. Bi reports that their group is currently headed to the temple of an old woman known as Genkai."

Rando flinched at the mention of Genkai's name as he considered telling Iehik that filthy cockroaches were more powerful than them, but it would just slow down his interrogation.

"As usual, you demons have managed to make things infinitely more difficult." He grasped Iehik's chin with his long fingers and pushed his face up slightly, so that the two were looking eye to eye.

"I'm sure you're aware, you little wretch, that getting the sword was an order of the great and powerful Chojin; a lord and master I don't intend to disappoint in the near future. Do you understand?"

The other demon nodded furiously, tears streaming down his chubby cheeks. "Yes, sir! I'm so sorry, my lord! It won't happen again!"

"Good. Because if it does, I won't show mercy like that human apparently did," Rando barked before a light-bulb went off in his head. "This human," he continued, "was he a rather young boy with a head of sleek, black hair and a sharp, lethal look in his eyes?"

Iehog nodded stupidly. "Indeed he is, Rando-sama! How did you know?"

"Damn!" Rando screamed, causing Iehog, Iehik, and Bi all to quiver in fear. What the redhead didn't mention was that it was because of Kuwabara's interference that Yusuke was able to get the Demon Sword. 'First Kuwabara tracks me down, and now Urameshi's got the sword. I'll be lucky if the Chojin lets me live this down. I have failed big time.'

Rando looked at the only demon that hadn't spoken yet. "Bi. Get in touch with Suzaku or Jine, whomever you find first. I'm going to have to discuss this with them before things go much further."

"Yes, my liege!" Bi scrambled out of the cave at the order, ready to please his master at any cost. Rando glanced over his wounds before deciding that he was in no shape to run after Yusuke as of now. Because he was forced to use the Blood Wind twice today, he'd used up all his remaining youki, despite the fact that he survived both the life-threatening dangers posed by Urameshi and Kuwabara.

Iehik breathed deeply. "Forgive me, lord, but why those two? There are several others you could meet with, like..."

"Shut up," Rando snarled. "I know everyone involved, and those two are the only ones I trust enough to keep this a secret." He looked up. "No one's going to like that the sword's in enemy hands, but I trust that if we're able to retrieve it in time, all will work out well."

Frustrated, Rando turned away and gnashed his teeth nearly to the point of breaking. 'If only I had more power. If only that interloper Kuwabara hadn't interfered. Although I currently have two extra techniques to supplement my other ninety-nine talents... Urameshi's Rei-Gan and Kuwabara's Jigen Tou... it's still all worthless until I find a way to gain more power!'

His head suddenly snapped back towards Iehog and Iehik. "As for you scum, I want you to keep a close eye on the blade, no matter how far to the ends of the earth you have to travel."

"Yes, Rando-sama!" With that, the two lackeys bumbled off, leaving Rando to sit and wait on a makeshift throne made out of stone blocks.

With no one to discover the truth behind his bluster, a thin line of blood quickly flowed from Rando's mouth.

* * *

Kuwabara raised his head very slowly, his eyes still getting accustomed to seeing after being closed for so long. His brain was also beginning to function smoothly as he gradually recognized where he was; in the forest where he had fought Rando. Still, he couldn't immediately recall what had caused the situation he was currently in.

He heard a voice from behind him. "Ah, so you're finally awake." Climbing to his feet, Kuwabara turned around to see a very tall man in a police officer's uniform, his black hair bangs swaying in the blustery wind.

Kuwabara jumped in surprise. "W-Who are you?" he cried.

The policeman smirked. "Just an officer who happened to see almost half of the trees in this area collapse. When I finally got here, though, all I saw was you passed out. That was about," he checked his watch, "two and a half hours ago. Anyway, I considered taking you in to the station, but I figured I could get some answers easier if I let you explain the whole thing here."

Beads of sweat formed on Kuwabara's brow. He had never gotten caught by the police before on any of his adventures, and knew that if he played his cards wrong, he could easily wind up in jail. He struggled to remember the fight with Rando as best he could, but his head was throbbing with pain. "Well, uh, you see, there was another guy here, and he was picking a fight with me, and..." He kicked his feet at the ground. "You know, I had to defend myself."

"I understand." The officer nodded. "But still, is there any reason why I shouldn't arrest you for destroying all these trees? Obviously something very wrong happened here."

The young man sighed. "Trust me. You wouldn't believe me even if I told you. You might as well just arrest me, officer."

"I have no intention of doing that," the policeman admitted, prompting a curious look from Kuwabara. "I'm very interested in hearing the true story from you, sir. Come, I'll take you back into town, we'll get some coffee, and you can explain everything." When he saw the look of hesitation on Kuwabara's face, he chuckled. "Do not fear. I promise that I won't hurt you or arrest you."

Still reluctant, Kuwabara slowly bobbed his head in assent. "All right, we could do that. Where's your car?" he queried, taking a few steps and gauging how much his present wounds hurt.

"Right over here," The officer revealed, walking out of the clearing that had formed as a result of the fight and heading to a car that was parked about a hundred yards away. The car... a well-traveled black Honda Accord Compact... had been stopped next to an extremely crude dirt road that led out of the forest and back into town. Kuwabara halted when he saw it.

"What's with the car? Why aren't you traveling in a squad car?" he inquired the officer, who was lighting up a cigarette.

"I was off-duty when I found you. Don't misunderstand; I still could've arrested you if I deemed it necessary, and I still can now; but no matter. Just get in, and I'll drive us back." Having lit the cigarette, he slipped his lighter back into his jacket. He started to settle into the driver's seat, but before he did, he stood back up. "Oh, before we leave, I never did get your name, kiddo."

"Kuwabara Kazuma ," was the reply of the young man as he climbed into the passenger seat. He slammed the door shut and looked at the driver, growing a bit more comfortable. "Is it okay if I ask for your name, or should I just call you 'officer'?"

"Not at all," the policeman reassured as he started the engine. "You have every night to know my name." He pushed on the gas pedal, thrusting the car into motion. "It's Fujita. Officer Fujita Goro."

* * *

In sheer and desperate terror of the looming threat before him, Rando inadvertently activated one of his more psychosomatic skills: Astral Projection. Just as an advanced living organism would automatically shield its eyes at the threat of being pierced, so did the involuntary parts of Rando's mind teleport his spirit away from near death. It was merely survival instinct that prompted him to do so.

But no, his life-threatening terror wasn't caused by his recent failure to finish Yusuke off and his 'draw' with the surprisingly strong Kuwabara. Rather, it was the consequences of his failure that really bothered him. He'd wasted his ration of destructive negative energy, and now his revived soul was at the mercy of the unforgiving Chojin.

Still, in this moment of utter solitude, the crimson-haired demon was given a chance to mull things over. Only one thought continued to repeatedly haunt Rando's mind; he could have done way better in his fight with Yusuke. He really could.

His first mistake was underestimating the gap of power between him and Yusuke, the Son of a Mazoku Warlord. His second mistake was nearly losing to the pathetic Kazuma Kuwabara, of all people. His haphazard battle with the half-demon caused him to enter his fight with Kuwabara at below a hundred percent; he wasn't using that an excuse, that was just a fact.

'Damn that double-edged Blood Wind,' Rando's spirit cursed as he surreally looked down at his twitching, unconscious self. He checked his injuries one by one as he observed his spiritless body from afar.

Come to think of it, his hollow, recessed eyes and more-gaunt-than-usual pallor were undoubtedly the results of excessive blood drain care of the Blood Wind. Also, a myriad of bruises and contusions lined Rando's body. These wounds could have been a lot worse had he not learned the Iron Body Technique, he noted to himself in a mantra-like manner.

Rando was beginning to see a trend to his woes and injuries; most of them were, more or less, his fault. This fact depressed him all the more. He did his best against his opponent given the circumstances, but it was very evident that his best wasn't good enough. He _could_ blame the circumstances surrounding his defeat... lesser demons would... but not him. His defeat was his responsibility and his alone. And regret was for losers.

He had to face facts: He had failed the Chojin. He was just glad that, even for a short time, he was able to fight Urameshi to the limit.

He suddenly heard a spiteful, derisive laugh echo in his ghostly mind. "Are you kidding me? You call that 'fighting to the limit?' Please. Urameshi barely went S-level with his powers; you were just too weak to notice."

"Who's there? Show yourself!" Rando's spirit demanded as it whirled wildly towards the origin of the reverberating voice.

"You're right about two things, though. You really have failed the Chojin, and it's all your fault," disparaged the voice.

Rando's eyes narrowed as he finally caught sight of the previously unseen outsider. "Oh. It's you. The Chojin's pet dog."

"I could say the same thing about you. After all, you do constantly follow him around, hanging on to every word he says like a little lost scamp."

Rando harrumphed. "It takes one to know one."

The stranger chuckled. "You call that an insult? So it's okay for you to be a sniveling, mangy dog since I am one too?"

"Whatever. What do you want?" Rando snapped. "Don't tell me you've come all the way here just to make fun of me."

"Though that is tempting... No." The stranger seemed to hesitate for a few moments before stating his business. "Believe it or not, I'm here to grant you the power to defeat the Reikai Tantei Urameshi Yusuke and, in turn, the Guardian of the Youtou Shinnoken, Himura Battousai."

"Oh, really?" Rando asked in obvious skepticism. "You can do that? How lucky of me, then."

"Of course I can," the stranger bragged, acting as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "I am, after all, the conduit of the ever-powerful Chojin's jaki. That's to be expected, since I've been his most loyal servant for more than a century."

'Humph. And he wonders why I call him the Chojin's dog.' Rando raised an eyebrow. "So you're serious? Exactly, why would you want to do that?" The demonic ghost eyed the outsider warily. "What's in it for you? What's the catch?"

"No catch. And just to be clear, I _don't_ want to do this." The stranger sighed. "But if you're really doubtful about my intentions, then go take it up with the Chojin; he's the one who ordered me to do this." Rando's eyes went wide at the outsider's revelation.

"I could care less why, truth be told. Personally, I'd rather see you burn in hell." The stranger shrugged. "Oh well. You're merely a means to an end anyway. Besides, now that you _have_ to continue your fight with Urameshi, I still have the small comfort of watching you suffer some more."

But Rando was already ignoring the stranger after he heard the good news. 'I can't believe it. The Chojin actually sent _him_ to give me the power to destroy Urameshi Yusuke? Incredible. It seems that, despite my bumbling, the Chojin has yet again given me another chance to prove myself! Hell, I may have even impressed him with my performance in the fight, in spite of the circumstances!'

"...Now don't get ahead of yourself, red. I'm hardly giving you _all _of the Chojin's power. I'm just here to tune you up a bit before round two starts. Consider it your second wind of sorts."

The stranger was soon bathing in the dark aura of choleric jaki. "Though you have inexplicably curried the Chojin's favor, I'll be providing you with just enough jaki to let you use most of your first and second level tricks and any one of your third level attacks. After all, like you said in your little monologue, you've bumbled a lot in this fight; this is all that you'll get because of it, and nothing more."

"Then stop your yapping and let me have it already," Rando plaintively declared, his arms crossed in challenge.

"Fine." Without so much as a word of warning, the stranger blasted wave upon wave of the Chojin's ebony jaki into Rando's floating spirit, making him drown in a spherical pool of pure evil energy.

Soon, youki began to course anew through Rando's battered frame, restoring it back to health.

"You're welcome," the outsider harrumphed, despite Rando never actually thanking him for his ministrations. "Now finish what you've started. Don't waste any of the Chojin's mercy; there's not a lot of it to go around."

"Don't tell me what I can or cannot do. Only the Chojin can decide my ultimate fate," Rando riposted as his jaki-filled spirit started to travel back into his recently repaired body.

'And he calls _me_ the dog.' The stranger sneered. 'Go, Rando. Go forth and give Urameshi Yusuke an epic battle worthy of the Chojin himself. You have no other choice anyway.'

* * *

Koenma sighed once, then twice. By the third time, he was able to overcome his shock and denial as he again reread Kurama's report to him that Jorge delivered a week or so ago. In fact, it was the half-youko's message that convinced him to have Yusuke fetch the Demon Sword in the first place. 'So the threat that began more than a hundred years ago has come to pass.'

'The Meikai incident and the Black Chapter Club episode are connected to the Chojin's rise to power. The imbalance of power in the Demon World and its threat against the Human World; the attempt to merge the worlds; the revival of a once-dead kingdom; each and every one of these seemingly separate incidents are interrelated.'

Koenma tiredly rubbed his throbbing temples, making for a rather weird and uncharacteristic sight given his toddler-like appearance. Even after rereading the letter, the whole situation still didn't sit well for him; not at all.

'A very ancient pain-in-the-posterior is rearing his ugly head again. We all underestimated him and his abilities, taking him for granted; which is understandable, since he never did anything major for the past hundred or so years. However, the very fact that he didn't make himself appear like a threat early on ultimately made him the Reikai's greatest threat yet. He's like a malignancy now; an incurable cancer.'

Koenma has several suspects fitting the malefactor's true identity, but he still wasn't sure who he truly was, this puppet master behind many of the greatest threats to the Human World. 'He was even able to usurp Yakumo's negative energy power, of all people! And now he may actually have a hold in the 'ferrying system' of the dead as well. This is very bad indeed.'

Koenma called upon one of the lesser oni and handed him Kurama's letter. "Disintegrate this letter. This letter never existed. Burn all the files concerning any contact with Kurama. We never contacted him. We know nothing. You know nothing. Now go, and find that slacker Jorge while you're at it," the Reikai Prince ordered.

Once he was alone again, Koenma went back to his numerous reflections, all centering upon one particular idea: 'Himura-san's legacy, the Demon Sword... I must find out more about it. I know that he and the malefactor are interconnected somehow. I'm sure of it. The Demon Sword is the key towards the cure of the malignant cancer known as the Chojin.'

* * *

"Humph. What a pity, indeed. Rando has certainly become the Chojin's whipped dog," a figure with a black, conical-shaped hat commented, grinning maniacally. He chuckled. "Going through the great Chojin's standard procedure of informing his comrades of any important piece of information; how very obedient, this dog."

Bi shook in vexation and fear over the imposing figure of what appeared to be a very deranged psychopath. It was almost impossible to believe that this was once a human, and not a demon from the very beginning. "May I have my leave now, sir? I still have to deliver my message to the leader of the Four Saint Beasts."

"But of course. How rude of me. Please go," the creature consented, grinning all the while. His teeth shone in the darkness, like the teeth of a predator about to consume his prey. Bi wisely took his leave then and there, running as fast as his two humanoid legs could take him.

"Unfortunately, though, I am nothing like that whipped dog, Rando. I hold no such loyalty. Suzaku and his lackeys will never know what I know now. I have only one intention in getting the Demon Sword, and it's not to please the Chojin."

The handsome Bi found himself frozen in his tracks. 'W-What's going on? Oh no... NO! Please!' he thought frantically before shouting out, "No! Jine-sama...!"

An appalling splatter was heard, followed by incongruous, gruff, and insane laughter. "I promised Battousai that I will see him in hell; this is my chance. I will soon remind him why his Demon Sword is called as such."

* * *

Kuwabara sat in the banged-up car silently, not really eager to strike up a conversation with the officer behind the wheel. It wasn't that he didn't trust him, but the man just looked so cold, with an unwavering expression on his face that didn't shake once as they drove through town. Only after Fujita parked on a curb in front of a small coffeehouse did he speak to the cautious youth. "This is a good place. Have you ever been here?"

"Nope," Kuwabara replied, shaking his head. "I don't really drink coffee. I usually have soda or something. Coffee's too bitter."

"I see," Fujita stated, beckoning to one of the tables outside of the building. "Just sit with me, then. I'll be right out, for we have much to discuss," he ordered in an icy voice. Before Kuwabara could answer, the officer had already turned his back and entered the store.

"...Okay?" Kuwabara muttered, confused. 'For an officer, this guy has a really cold aura,' he thought to himself. There's obviously more to him than meets the eye. Still, Kuwabara figured that there was no reason to fight him or run away, so he sat at one of the round glass tables, fiddling with the fold-out umbrellas until Fujita reappeared, his left hand clasped around a cup brimming with steam.

Sitting down, Fujita took a small sip and locked his gaze on Kuwabara. "Now why don't you tell me just what happened in the park? As I said, no matter what you tell me, I promise not to arrest you or anything of that sort. All I want is the truth." He narrowed his eyelids. "And I don't suggest you tell me anything other than the truth."

Kuwabara nodded, the glare making him quite uncomfortable. "All right, officer. I was in a fight with a... demon." He stopped to see if the older man would respond to that with anything. When he didn't, he hesitantly continued. "A demon named Rando, and..."

"You don't need to tell me anymore. I know the rest of your story," Fujita confirmed, taking another drink. Kuwabara stared at him in shock.

The young man shrugged. "What do you mean?"

"That you were sent by Koenma Daio to help Urameshi Yusuke retrieve the sealed Demon Sword and recapture the renegade demon Rando," Fujita surmised calmly.

Kuwabara's face turned about ten shades of red when he heard what Fujita shared. At a complete loss of words for a few seconds, his breathing became a bit erratic when he finally began speaking again. "How'd you know all that?" he shrieked, prompting a look from people at the other tables for a second.

This time, it was Fujita's turn to shrug. "I know many things."

"Hey, answer me, pal!" Kuwabara shouted, slamming his fist on the table and making a small dent appear on it. "Hardly anyone knows about that, and if you...!"

"You'll attack me in the middle of a crowded street?" Fujita inquired, drinking from his cup again. Kuwabara, noticing that more people were staring at them, settled down. "All right, all right, I'm sorry; but you just caught me off-guard there. Are you a demon?" he asked earnestly.

"Not in the slightest," Fujita confessed, shaking his head. "Just an extremely well-informed human, like yourself. Now, I'd like for you to tell me anything you know about where this Rando went. You said he escaped; where could he have gone to?"

Kuwabara thought for a moment. "I don't know. I'd only fought him one time before, and that was about two years ago," he mused.

Fujita arched an eyebrow. "Oh, so you actually have some sort of history with this Rando character?"

Kuwabara nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah! You know the dojo nearby run by that old hag, Genkai? My rival and I were in a tournament of hers a while back, and Rando crashed the party, you could say. I lost to him in the semifinals, but Urameshi beat him in the finals and got the special training prize from Genkai."

"Very interesting," Fujita drawled, finishing the last of his coffee and tossing the empty cup into a nearby trashcan. "You said your friend's name was Urameshi? As in Urameshi Yusuke? The same person you helped out at the Shrine of the Sword?"

Again, Kuwabara was stupefied. "Jeez, you really are good at finding out information... except of course the friend part and all. Yeah, he's the one. What about him?"

Fujita managed a small chuckle. "You could say I know of bit of information about him as well. No matter. This Genkai character could be of some use to me. Would you mind taking me to this dojo? I'd love to hear what she knows."

"Sure, if you don't mind a hike!" Kuwabara joked. When he saw that Fujita wasn't laughing along, he stopped and glared at him angrily. "You know more than what you're letting on."

Fujita nodded. "You're correct. But you needn't worry, Kuwabara. All will be revealed soon, I'm sure." He looked up. "Come, let's get going. We shouldn't waste any more time than we have to."

* * *

"So that's what that was, Kenshin," Keiko finally finished.

Kenshin nodded. "Thank you very much for telling me that, Keiko-dono. Who would have thought that so many things changed so much in such a short time!" he expressed in gratitude. "It's really too much for my simple mind to comprehend!"

"Gee, who would have figured that?" Yusuke muttered to himself before shutting up, mostly because he saw Botan preparing her oar for another whack, and Kenshin begging him to spare the both of them further pain.

Yusuke rolled his eyes. "I mean, yeah, things sure have changed." He gave up trying to have an active part of this conversation and just lied down.

An even more curious look appeared on Keiko's face. "Where exactly did you come from, Kenshin? Are you human?" She glared at Yusuke, eyes narrowing. "This big jerk brings home all kinds of demons and terrible things, but I've grown used to them over time."

Kenshin chuckled a bit uncomfortably. "Yes, Keiko-dono, I'm human. I was just taken off of the Human World for a little while, so I'm still getting used to things." He gazed at his pseudo-date. "Isn't that right, Botan-dono?"

Botan grinned, albeit hesitantly. "Of course, Kenshin," she affirmed. When he turned around, her smile dropped.

'What does he mean?' she asked herself. 'Is Kenshin getting more out of this charade than I am?' She thought for a moment. 'I suppose it could be that men were this polite to ladies about a century ago.'

Finally, Botan shook such silly thoughts from her mind. Kenshin was probably just going out of his way to see that Keiko is convinced of their little act, she concluded.

"So, you said it had been a while since you were here, Kenshin." Keiko giggled. "What do you plan on doing in Tokyo?"

Kenshin, unsure of how to answer the question, shrugged. "Well, I'm not exactly sure, to be honest. There was an old dojo that I used to spend much of my time at. I suppose I can look to see if it's still here."

"What was it called?" Yusuke queried half-heartedly.

Kenshin turned around. "The Kamiya Kasshin Dojo. Have you heard of it, by any chance?" he asked, sounding hopeful.

Yusuke shook his head. "Can't say that I have; fighting with swords has pretty much disappeared. Nowadays, everyone's either fighting with their fists or they're gangsters that carry around guns. A lot of those old training halls are gone, although kendo is still a popular sport."

The former rurouni's head dropped. "I see."

Botan, trying to think of a way to see if she could cheer Kenshin up, poked his back. Both Kenshin and Yusuke reacted to the sudden pinch as though an ice cube slid through their spine, much to Yusuke's chagrin.

"Yusuke, stop clowning around," the clueless Keiko berated, unaware of the spiritual bond the two men shared.

"You know, the person we're visiting right now, Genkai, runs an old dojo for martial arts training. Once we sort out the Demon Sword issue, maybe she could help you out with your past life and stuff?"

"Really? Do you think she can help?" Kenshin asked hopefully.

"I believe she's almost eighty years old, give or take a year," Botan chirped, holding her hands together. "I know that's not old enough to be from your time, but she might still be able to help you out. You never know."

The ex-vagabond's face lit up. "Oh, that's fantastic. I simply must meet her!" He thought for a moment. If Genkai were seventy-five years old that would mean she would've been born around... "What year is today?"

"1993," Yusuke idly answered.

"Right." The spirit nodded. Genkai would have been born around 1918; early enough for Kaoru, Yahiko, or Sanosuke to still be alive. This old woman just might have the sort of information Kenshin was so desperately needing; besides the fact that she was the one responsible for the sealing of the Demon Sword's power, of course.

Keiko stood up. "Well, there's no point in waiting. We might as well get going if we want to get there before dinner," she declared, dusting some dirt off her skirt.

* * *

Hours later, in Genkai's Temple...

Genkai looked up to the twilight sky in curiosity and boredom from her home's patio, serenely sipping tea while the wind chime tinkled amidst a wayward mountain breeze. "The stars are exceptionally bright tonight."

She blinked as she peered at a particularly brilliant star just beside the seven stars of the Big Dipper. She'd seen that star twice before; just a few minutes before she fought the Younger Toguro, and one other important instance.

There was a legend concerning the star: It was called the Harbinger of Death, because it only appeared clearly to those who were about to die.

Genkai exhaled in acceptance. "So I'm about to die for real this time, huh? Fine. It's about time. Better me than someone else who still has his life ahead of him."

* * *

Jorge rushed into Koenma's office, where he saw his master slumped over his desk, lost in thought. "Is everything okay, Koenma-sama?"

The Acting Lord of Reikai snapped to attention when he saw his most loyal servant appear, clutching a large pile of papers in both his hands. "No, everything's not okay!" he shouted. "I need to find out more about what's going on here!"

He tossed a dry seal at Jorge's face. "You! Did you find out any information about Himura Kenshin-san?"

"Y-Yes, sir!" Jorge answered, pushing the papers onto Koenma's desk. He sifted through them for a moment, pulled one out and began reading. "Himura Kenshin, born June 20, 1851, 158 centimeters tall..."

Koenma hurled another stamp at Jorge, this one hitting him in the stomach. "I don't care about how tall he is! Get to the important stuff!"

Jorge nodded furiously. "Yes, Koenma-sama! In the Bakumatsu, he was known as the Hitokiri Battousai because he killed hundreds of people trying to reform the Japanese government. After it ended and the death of his first wife occurred, he became a rurouni for ten years. This lasted..."

"I already know that, you dolt! Those were the facts I used to judge his soul a hundred or so years ago!" Koenma quickly interrupted, rolling his eyes as he impatiently tapped his fingers on his desk. "Well, it can't be helped. Just continue with the story, Jorge."

"Yes, sir. He was a vagabond for a decade before meeting a young lady named Kamiya Kaoru. In 1878, he was summoned by someone named Okubo Toshimichi to assassinate Shishio Makoto, an insane rebel trying to overthrow the Japanese government. Kenshin completely dismantled Shishio's operation with the help of his friends, but he and Shishio perished in the ensuing battle between them." He placed the paper back on the table. "Will that do, Koenma-sama?"

Koenma nodded solemnly. He considered telling Jorge that he'd uncovered much more information than the ogre probably knew, but thought the better of it. 'So Shishio and Himura-san killed each other around the same time that the Chojin was first sighted. Interesting.'

To Jorge, Koenma cooed, "Good. Did you find out anything else that might be able to help us? Like who Himura-san's close contacts were at the time of his demise? Finding those people could be greatly beneficial to us."

Jorge thought for a moment before he had an epiphany of sorts. "Oh, that's right! Well, I discovered that Himura-san was in very close contact with not one, not two, not three," he counted off his fingers for dramatic effect, "but four mighty warriors of that era!"

"Four?" Koenma exclaimed. 'Well,' he thought, 'birds of a feather flock together.' "Tell me more about them. All of them."

"Yes, Koenma-sama. First is Saito Hajime, captain of one of the Shinsengumi Units. He has a death record in the Human World, but I couldn't his records here in the Spirit World. It's quite bizarre, but bottom line is, I don't know much about him." He shrugged.

Koenma grunted, but nodded. "Continue."

"Second is Hiko Seijuro the Thirteenth, the final master of the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu, the style Himura-san practiced. Even though I'm sure he's dead, information about him is also hard to find."

Koenma stroked his chin. The name did sound familiar; he'd be someone to keep in mind for later. "Very well. Who else?"

"Last are the legendary fighter and gangster Sagara Sanosuke and one of the most powerful samurai at the turn of the last century, Myojin Yahiko," Jorge proclaimed proudly. "We've located their spirits within the Eden Sections of Reikai, so I didn't think it'd be necessary to look up the details of their lives. Himura-san was best friends with these two."

"Excellent job, Jorge." Koenma rubbed his hands together in glee. "I have vague memories of both of them, so they could definitely come in handy. Are there any other notable people Kenshin knew at the time of his death?"

Jorge shook his head. "Not really, Koenma-sama. There is his unnamed wife and Kamiya Kaoru, a couple of ninjas, two prominent doctors, and a few other friends, but those four stood out the most because all of them are quite well-known to those who've studied that era of Japan. All of them are fierce, strong warriors."

Koenma wrinkled his nose in meditation. "All right." He resolutely stood up. "Jorge, your next mission is to track this Sanosuke and Yahiko down and bring them here to the Gates of Judgment."

"What?" Jorge cried out in total shock. "You're not going to bring them back into the Human World, are you? That's only for the direst of emergencies! This situation isn't that bad, is it?" he worriedly queried, growing more frantic by the second.

"Not at the moment," Koenma acknowledged, shaking his head. "But I can't risk anything going wrong, so I'm going to need to have a discussion with those two about Kenshin, about the Demon Sword, about Shishio, and about everything. In any case, I want them in this office within the next few hours!"

Jorge groaned, but nodded. "Yes, Koenma-sama! I'll get right on it!" With that, he burst out of the room and darted down the hallway. Koenma sat back in his chair and sighed.

He doubted he'd get anything from Sanosuke and Yahiko that he didn't already know, and it would show great desperation if he had to give them back their mortal bodies and send them back to the Human World. Still, he decided, matters like this are too hazardous to worry about rules.

* * *

"You were right, this is quite a hike." Kenshin beamed blissfully.

"Don't worry, Kenshin. We're almost there," Keiko reassured.

"We'd better be, or I'm going to..."

"Shut up, Yusuke," Botan reprimanded.

Keiko looked up in the sky. "Wow. It's getting dark. But look at all those stars! That one right beside the Big Dipper is quite beautiful, Yusuke! I wonder what it's called, though."

Yusuke grumbled. "Star of Lame? Who cares? Come on, let's get a move on before it gets really dark."

* * *

Rando, Iehog, and Iehik exited their cave, only to see a very tall demon licking a blade drenched in blood. At his feet were the scarred remains of another demon.

"B-Bi!" Iehog wailed, crouching to look at his human-looking underling. He stared up at Jine in askance. "Did you do this to Bi?"

Jine's eyes seemed to bulge out of his sockets as he unleashed a huge cackle. "Why, of course!" he screamed. "I thought it appropriate that his final task is to summon his own killer." He chortled again.

"Damn you, Jine!" Rando slurred through gritted teeth. "I'm not so much angry about you killing him, though. He was a worthless wretch."

"You're correct," Jine intoned, giving Iehog an evil sneer. "He didn't even put up a fight; he just ran like a mangy little dog," he informed, turning his glare at Rando.

"But I was about to send him to get Suzaku," Rando continued, trying to ignore what he considered ranting and raving on the part of Jine. "I wanted to speak with both of you, and...!"

The four heard a bird squawking overhead. "You don't need to worry about that!" a shrill voice muttered. Above them was a green bird with a tuft of purple hair that had apparently been watching them from one of the nearby trees. The familiar continued by shouting out several more words, but her voice was so disruptive that the others had trouble deciphering it.

Iehik looked at Rando curiously. "What the hell is that thing?"

Rando snorted. "It's Suzaku's damn pet bird, Murugu. It's probably been spying on us this whole time. Damn that Suzaku."

"Quite ironic, isn't it?" another voice, this time a much smoother one, resonated from behind them. Turning around, they saw a blond-haired humanoid creature standing on top of the mouth of the cave. "You sent one of your servants to get me, when in fact it's me that's looking after you, Rando."

"It's hilarious, Suzaku," Rando deadpanned, his voice dripping with sarcasm. His eyes switched to Iehog and Iehik, who were watching in horror as Jine dissected the body of their former comrade. "You two," he commanded, "I've changed my mind. You're free to do as you wish. We'll take it from here. Now get lost!"

Iehik began sweating. "But master...!"

"LEAVE!" Rando roared. "If you're still here after five seconds, I'll be more than happy to let Jine and Suzaku rip you to shreds." When Iehog and Iehik saw Jine brandishing his sword and Suzaku making a golden bow appear from nowhere, they didn't need a lot of encouragement to make a hasty goodbye and slither away.

Suzaku jumped off the cave entrance and let his bow disappear. He glanced first at Jine, then at Rando. "So, why did you summon us here, Rando? Do you have some sort of juicy information to share with us?"

"Yes, about the Demon Sword. I've found that..."

"Is that all you wanted, you wretch?" Jine exclaimed. "What makes you think you could possibly know more about that sword than I? I nearly died by that blade!"

Rando rolled his eyes, hoping to keep the insaneness of Jine in check. "All I meant to say was that the one who inhabits it, Himura Kenshin, has finally been unleashed, and that I know where it is right now."

"Fool. I know of that as well," Jine snorted. 'Let your folly lead to your death by Battousai's hands, Rando.'

"Huh. And how does that involve me?" Suzaku demanded. "I don't particularly care for the sword, except for the fact that the Chojin finds it very important."

The gears in Rando's mind went spinning wildly as an idea hatched in his head. "Tell me, Suzaku, what has become of your lackeys? Genbu, Byakko, and Seiryu?"

Suzaku let himself chortle forcefully. "Well, since our unceremonious losses at the hands of Urameshi's group, we've been training night and day, praying for another chance to fight them and thanking the Chojin for giving us that opportunity."

"Yes! An opportunity is something we've been waiting for!" Murugu cried, still hovering around them in the air.

Rando grinned; that was the exact answer he wanted. "As I said, I know where Urameshi is, and I think we should have a surprise waiting for him when he gets there."

"Just tell me where he is," Jine seethed.

"I've got a special plan in mind," Rando divulged. When he saw both Suzaku and Jine glowering at him, he held up his hands in surrender.

"Just hear me out. I plan on going over there right now. In all honesty, I don't think I can defeat Urameshi, this samurai or whatever, and that bitch Genkai by myself. So," he looked at Suzaku, "I want to take Genbu, Byakko, and Seiryu with me."

Suzaku pondered for a moment. "Perhaps. Why?"

"Yes, why?" Murugu echoed her master.

"It's simple," Rando coaxed, deciding to begin by lying through his teeth. "The Chojin has demanded we retrieve the Demon Sword that he's seeking so badly. I've decided to obey that command. Therefore, if I'm able to defeat all those fighters myself, then I'll be sure to deliver their bodies to you two, and you can do with them what you will."

Rando noticed both Jine and Suzaku smiling at the mention of that particular tidbit. "However, if I can't defeat them, I'll have weakened Urameshi Yusuke and Himura Kenshin enough for you two to get your own revenge anyway."

"Fine, then," Jine replied. 'There's no way you can defeat Battousai, but you'll grant me the perfect opportunity to do so.'

Rando nodded slowly. "Right." He looked at Suzaku. "So how does that sound to you?"

Suzaku pulled out a small whistle from a pocket in his gi and handed it to Rando. "I like it. Use this new demon whistle from anywhere on the ends of the earth. My three servants will appear at your whim."

"I see," Rando murmured. "I don't remember you being able to do that, though."

Suzaku snickered. "In these last few years, we've all picked up a few new tricks. Do not underestimate my servants."

"Yes, do not under... ACK!" a shriek came from the heavens. Rando and Suzaku looked up to see Murugu falling to the ground, a huge blade stuck in her chest. When she crashed to the ground, she had already died.

"Murugu!" Suzaku shouted, running to her and cradling her corpse. When he saw Jine pull his sword out of her body and howling uncontrollably, his eyes flared. "Why did you do that? She did nothing to you!" he screamed.

Jine's uproarious guffaws continued. "She was annoying me, and I felt the taste for blood again. It's a nasty habit of mine, you see."

You'll pay for what you've done!" Suzaku screamed, readying a burst of energy. When he fired it, however, Jine had already vanished.

Rando turned away. "I'll see you soon, Suzaku." He walked off, leaving Suzaku on the ground, crying and grieving the loss of his servant and pet. "I'll get you for this, Jine," was all that escaped from his mouth.

* * *

"Ah, I never get tired of visiting this place," Botan disclosed, kicking her feet and stretching out on a wooden bench overlooking a patch of grass. "It's just so peaceful here. No wonder Genkai-baasan decided to set up her dojo on the peak of a mountain. I'd love to live up here." Little did the ferry-girl know that the whole area belonged to Genkai, her property stretching as far as the eye could see.

Yusuke curtly grunted, walking down the main path towards the dojo's front door. "You'd think the old hag could have a road run up here instead of thousands of stairs. But noooo!" He flung his arms in the air, causing Kenshin to look on inquiringly. "She just had to keep the 'peace and tranquility' of stairs. It makes me sick."

"My pardons, Yusuke, but perhaps she prefers steps because it keeps people from her home?" Kenshin pointed out, looking around, "It certainly seems as though Genkai-baasan likes to keep her privacy, but this is still a gorgeous place."

Keiko nodded. "It is. I'll check to see if she's home." She proceeded to hop up the few steps in front of the door and knock. After a few seconds, the door creaked open slowly. A short figure could be spotted investigating who was at the door, and soon after the door flung open.

"Ah, Keiko!" the figure greeted happily. It was an extremely short, elderly woman with frail hair of a pinkish hue, sporting a red variation of a martial arts outfit. "How are you today?"

"I'm fine, ma'am," Keiko serenely tilted her head to the side. "I'm glad to see that you're still healthy and perky for your age!" Meanwhile, in the background, Botan and Yusuke choked on their own spit as they uncomfortably looked away.

* * *

**To be Continued...**

_Next: Past foes, present woes._

I've noticed that the trade-off posts between myself and Chester have been getting longer and longer. I'm not sure if that means we both have more to write, or if we're just trying to beat each other to writing the fun stuff first. What do you think, pal? :)

Anyway, much thanks go to said Chester and the SeventhOne for the original concept. I should write a eulogy for the hour of Yu Yu Hakusho/Rurouni Kenshin that introduced me to both shows (Even if both shows were heavily edited, it was still the best hour on TV). Ah well.

**Danyal Herder**


	5. Chapter 4

Forty-eight years ago, at the outskirts of the recently devastated Nagasaki City, the "Harbinger of Death" star shone brightly in a patch of darkness not covered by the mostly overcast skies. Indeed, many people died during that horrible period of destruction.

It was during these times of tragedy that the barriers between the Spirit World, the Demon World, and the Human World were at their weakest. Whenever so many souls were forcefully ejected from the World of the Living in such a short period of time, the barriers that the Reikai setup fluctuated into nigh-nonexistence, the migration of spirits dealing incredible damage to the balance of the worlds and the Natural Order.

Just like during the Warring States era, many demons flocked into the Ningenkai that fateful week, bathing in the dark energies and bad karma caused by the folly that was war. But this time around, things were different. This time around, the humans had gone too far.

During the infamous dates of August 6 and 9, 1945, the Natural Order was rendered into complete and total bedlam thanks to humankind's newfound ability to destroy a large amount of life in an instant... faster than even an army of Class-S demons could muster, in fact.

As such, humanity's crimes against itself and nature became too much for the Guardian of the Demon Sword to handle. The sadness, despair, hopelessness, and pain that he felt right then was too overwhelming for him to bear. Someone must pay the price for this unforgivable sin in order for him to be satisfied.

The devil himself could not have chosen a better form to inhabit than Kenshin Himura's small, effeminate, and unremarkable form. Then again, he wasn't really Kenshin right then; instead, he'd become Battousai the Demon Slayer, soon to become Battousai the Manslayer for one more time if his plan to tear a hole in the weakened Reikai barrier ever came to fruition.

A young, bloodied, yet determined twenty-something Genkai spat blood as she gingerly grabbed hold of her slashed shoulders, her clothes torn and frayed after braving the furious storm of Battousai's sword strikes.

Around her, whole armies of the Spirit World Special Defense Force were scattered across the burning wreckage. They weren't killed because of the recent atomic bombing or the then little-known aftereffects of radiation. These mountains and mountains of bodies were killed by one man; a one-man army killer.

"Too strong. He's too strong. It was a bad idea from the start to let him take hold of the Demon Sword... because now, no one can stop him!" one of the Reikai's Tokubetsu Boueitai murmured before his head cleanly slid off his neck.

With what seemed like gentle, effortless swings of the Demon Sword, Battousai was able to dispatch a good twenty other surviving soldiers even as they attempted to surround and overwhelm him with their superior numbers. Genkai had always wondered whether Spirit World folk bled like normal, living people or did something else entirely when wounded; she soon found her answer right then and there.

"Why are you doing this, Himura-san?" Genkai demanded as her knees trembled. "Now of all times, why are you attempting to destroy the barrier between the Makai and the Ningenkai? You're supposed to be on the Reikai's side! You're supposed to be the greatest shinigami hero the three worlds have ever seen! Why are you threatening the people you were supposed to protect in the first place? I beg you, don't open the Reikai barrier!"

However, the sweet-natured humanitarian known as Kenshin Himura was no more. Instead, the insane-with-grief, amber-eyed Battousai the Demon Slayer replied with words that, forty-eight years later, would be echoed by a similarly disenchanted spirit detective.

"Why do I slay demons? It is because they're evil? If that's the case, then I might as well slay humans as well. They've proven today that they're no worse than demons. Let the demons of the Demon World and the demons of the Human World consume each other and cleanse their respective realms of their filth once and for all."

With no one left to get in the way of his malicious intentions, Battousai slashed through the dimensional breach caused by the atomic explosion and entered the mesh-like veil that separated the Human World from the Demon World.

"Today, I will become both hitokiri and youkiri; I will eliminate this world of wolves and wolves in sheep's clothing, because no one else but I can."

* * *

**Youtou Shinnoken: Demon Sword**

A Yuyu Hakusho/Rurouni Kenshin fic  
by Chester Castañeda and Danyal Herder

Original concept by Chad Yang

Okay, folks. This chapter was once completely written by Danyal. However, I noticed that several plot points he made won't be resolved until later chapters, so I've decided to put them away for later use, so to speak. As for what I used as substitute material, read on to find out.

_Disclaimer: Yuyu Hakusho is the rightful property of Yoshihiro Togashi, Shueisha, Fuji TV and St. Pierrot. Rurouni Kenshin is the rightful property of Nobuhiro Watsuki and Sony. Don't sue us please. We are very poor._

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**Chapter 4: Heart of Sword (Part 4)**

* * *

_Forty-eight years later..._

"Welcome, everyone!" Genkai leaped out onto the grass and studied the rest of her guests, "I see Botan, my idiot pupil, and..." Her gaze settled upon Kenshin.

To everyone's surprise, Genkai's battle aura flared to life as her body shook in rage. Kenshin could only blink in astonishment as the elder screeched, "YOU! You bastard! I thought we already sealed you about five decades ago! How dare you show your face here, you monster!"

"H-Hey! Granny! W-What are you saying?" Yusuke managed to stutter as he moved in front of Kenshin. Despite his earlier attitude towards the spirit guardian's presence, he knew enough about him to understand that he wasn't a bad guy. "Maybe you're just mistaking Kenshin for someone else?"

But Genkai wouldn't listen. "I don't know what spell that extremist murderer has cast upon you, but if there's anyone who deserves to be sealed, then it's that man! PREPARE YOURSELF, YOUKIRI BATTOUSAI!"

"Youkiri..." Botan started.

"...Battousai?" Keiko finished.

'Battousai the Demon Slayer? I thought he was supposed to be Battousai the Manslayer?' To Genkai, Yusuke tried to persuade, "Genkai-baasan, listen to reason! This guy won't even hurt a fly! In fact, he won't even let me kill several demons for some reason or another! Isn't that right, Kenshin?"

Yusuke unconsciously stepped back when he saw the flash of amber in Kenshin's usually violet eyes. "K-Kenshin?"

"Have I met you before?" Kenshin queried coldly; an unusual deed that came at odds with the personality he had shown earlier. "It would seem that I've done you wrong without even realizing it."

"Of course you did! Don't try to deny it!" Genkai seethed in such a way that made it seem like Kenshin was a wolf in sheep's clothing. "I don't know how you got out of your seal, but I'll make sure that you'll never get out of it ever again!"

Yusuke wanted to clarify to Genkai that Koenma himself wanted to retrieve the Demon Sword, but his body tensed at the sudden danger posed by this new, moodier Kenshin. 'Could it be that Kenshin's been playing us for fools and he's actually been part of the Chojin's army all this time?'

"Go ahead, Genkai-dono. Come at me if you can," Kenshin challenged as he fell into his ready stance. "If you need to get this out of your chest, then by all means, do it."

Genkai was at first taken aback by the earnestness in Kenshin's voice, but she herself prepared to strike soon after. "I won't be fooled by your flimsy disguise. Let's go!"

Before anyone could stop either of the combatants, they already flew ten feet up into the clear night sky, the moon silhouetting their graceful forms.

* * *

_Forty-eight years earlier..._

Battousai and Genkai traveled a great distance into the grid-like vortex as they continued their furious dance of death. On one side of the endless passageway was a congregation... no, a pandemonium... of youkai just dying to get out and unleash unspeakable horrors upon the Human World. On the other side was a deceptively calm yet tension-filled New York, whose country of origin had already unleashed unspeakable horrors upon the Japanese Empire. The dimensional veil apparently had a complex network of tunnels that connected straight into the edge of America.

The fact that Battousai ended up there was no coincidence. He braved through armies of Spirit World Warriors specifically to destroy the barrier separating the so-called Land of the Free and Home of the Brave from what could be construed by its mostly Christian population as the Pits of Hell. His mission was clear; to open the Reikai barrier and let loose the terror of Makai unto the nation that just caused one of the most catastrophic events the three worlds had ever seen. For him, his act was not that of revenge; it was simply an act of justice.

Genkai cursed under her breath; not one of her Shotgun's spiritual bullets even touched the faster-than-thought Battousai. She raged with a primal scream as she prepared another shot, this time using her specialty, the Rei-Kou-Dan. She'd used everything in her arsenal save a handy kitchen sink, but nothing she threw at the swordsman was connecting. It was a frustrating battle for a gifted fighter such as herself.

Battousai was as fast as Genkai expected, but then again, he wasn't... actually, he was _faster_ than she thought he was. It was hard to tell, but suffice it to say that she was having a difficult time catching the elusive and shockingly strong shinigami. Whenever he hit her, before she could counter his attack, he was already gone, escaping through her dead angles and blind spots with frightening ease.

Their fight was beautiful; horrible; it was both things at the same time. Battousai deftly darted around the arching shots with unbelievable speed, attacking at different and imperceptible angles, coming in and out so quickly that Genkai didn't know which way was up anymore. The younger combatant was at a complete and total loss. She didn't know where to shoot her allegedly wide-reaching techniques. She was completely and utterly outclassed by a superior opponent.

Eventually, Battousai had the impulsive yet bloodied warrior princess cornered, with her acting more like a wheezing seventy-something-year-old crone than the spry twenty-something martial artist she was supposed to be. She simple grew old overnight after only a day of fighting against the Legendary Youkiri Battousai.

Genkai's heart was caught inside her throat. Her promising future as a martial artist... even her very own life... was about to be cut short by a shinigami she once considered as a legend in his own right; a swordsman from fifty-something years past referred by his peers as the strongest. Her friend and comrade; a comrade who outclassed her completely. He made her look like an inept amateur, even when considering the fact that she was still wet behind the ears when it came to battle experience.

What'd happened to Himura? More importantly, what was Genkai to do now? The fact of the matter was that she didn't know what to do. She had no idea how to handle the situation. The current state of affairs was too much for her mind to comprehend.

But she couldn't give up now! Millions of lives were at stake in this fateful fight. Battousai was about to break the cardinal rule of not interfering with human affairs by releasing all those slavering demons into the wounded and battered Human World even before it could even start licking its wounds. On the other hand, as a Japanese Citizen, she also felt hesitant to stop him.

"If America hadn't bothered to unleash their weapon of mass destruction against Japan, would you have opened the barrier on the Japanese people instead? Japan hasn't exactly been sinless in regards to this horrible war. You need to calm down and assess this situation properly before you act!" she screamed at him, inwardly balking at the bitter taste of her own words.

She couldn't, for the life of her, muster enough indignation towards Battousai's intentions... not after what the Americans had done. Not after seeing firsthand the screaming and burning people at the outskirts of Nagasaki.

"You misunderstand, Genkai. I'm not doing this for the Japanese Empire's sake. I'm not even doing this for revenge. This is for the Natural Order. The humans... all of them... have overstepped their bounds. It's about time to put together what they've rendered asunder. They need to learn their place," Kenshin flatly explained before he again struck her down hard and disappeared out of her reach.

It was true that Battousai's genocidal plan was essentially overkill, especially considering the fact that the Ningenkai's most devastating war so far was about to come to an end. Still, considering all the lives Japan had lost through America's own draconian machinations, she wasn't so sure she was doing the right thing anymore.

Sure, she had heard of vague tales and stories concerning Japan's own war atrocities and how her nation of birth was nowadays viewed as a monstrous and frightening country of drone-like people who would sooner commit suicide through sepukku or kamikaze than surrender. As a Japanese national, she of course viewed the Pearl Harbor bombing as a successful preemptive strike instead of a dishonorable act of war. She had never even heard of the Nanking Massacre or Unit 731.

All she knew was that countless of innocent people that had nothing to do with the war just died a painful and horrible death, and she couldn't fully bring herself to feel resentful about Battousai's own proposed actions, shamed as she was to admit it.

But did two wrongs necessarily make a right? She was, quite frankly, scared of what America had become and what it was now capable of doing even after the war was over. The idea of America having the power to wipe out an entire civilization in a blink of an eye frightened her far more than the prospect of that very nation getting its, to her view, just desserts through a frantic Demon World invasion.

She knew deep in her heart of hearts that the Youkiri Battousai's scheme was just as cruel and pitiless as what America did to Japan, regardless of both their reasons and justifications. However, she also couldn't bring herself to use her full resolve to stop him; she couldn't, not with the confused state her mind was in.

Her sempai was doing what he viewed as "justice", and she couldn't force herself to counter his strong convictions. She was too soft and weak to face someone like him. In any case, it was her own hesitation that spelled her doom. She had seen the "Harbinger of Death" star, like many of the surviving innocents in Nagasaki, and she knew what was about to happen next.

"For someone who has the name of 'Genkai', you seem to not know your own limits," Battousai softly whispered to Genkai's ear, the malevolence in his voice hidden with seeming sympathy. Or perhaps pity; she was not sure.

The horrifying beast that wore the face of the man she looked up to since childhood calmly reared his sword back, intending to slice her to ribbons. She cringed at the unstoppable onslaught Battousai presented, mouthing a silent scream at the searing agony that never came.

Genkai opened her eyes and was surprised by what she saw. Right in front of her was the huge back of yet another man she looked up to since she was but a novice fighter. He just punched away Battousai's sword like it was made of bamboo, which caused the shinigami to recoil slightly.

The pink-haired girl's bone-dry throat screamed the man's name desperately, begging him to retreat. Even he was no match against the intelligent monster before them.

"No! Run away, TOGURO!"

* * *

_Forty-eight years later..._

Before Yusuke, Botan, and Keiko could do anything... not that they could, since they simply could not react fast enough to what was happening before them regardless... Kenshin and Genkai were already in the air, the former's sword whirling like a typhoon, the latter's hands burning with blue plasma.

"SHU NO KEN!" Genkai screamed as she did a right-handed feint and pivoted midair using her hips once Kenshin fell for her bait. She afterwards performed a complicated kicking maneuver aimed at her nemesis's face.

The Supine Kick Kougeki hit the flying swordsman right at the jaw, the force of the impact spinning him around like a top. Unfortunately for Genkai, the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu had a technique made specifically for this kind of situation.

Moving towards Genkai's blind spot as they descended, Kenshin twirled and did a perfect Ryu Kan Sen strike before Genkai could even realize what was happening. The attack hit the old woman in full force, which left the witnesses of the battle stunned and flabbergasted.

A thousand thoughts assaulted Genkai's mind as she felt the cold bite of the Youtou Shinnoken's unforgiving steel on the nape of her neck. Her life didn't flash before her eyes, but that was only because she'd already contemplated her life just as soon as she saw the star of the Harbinger of Death. She expected a quick reprieve of eternal blackness soon after, followed by Botan escorting her to the Spirit World and some such.

Instead, she merely felt gravity reassert its will upon her body as she fell feet-first unto her cobblestone patio below. Afterwards, just as Kenshin dexterously landed after her, she charged from the small crater she created and shoved her hand into the swordsman's chest, doing a true version of her special Rei Handou technique.

Kenshin blinked as he extricated himself and backed away from Genkai's awkward grasp. The divine attack that was supposed to cure spiritual ailments and dementia did absolutely nothing to him except make him lose a bit of his usually superb equilibrium.

Genkai warily looked at her opponent as she circled around him. She couldn't make heads or tails out of Kenshin or his intentions at the moment. Speaking of heads, she eventually wondered why exactly her head was still attached to her body. She could have sworn that Kenshin had hit her neck with that powerful counterstrike of his.

As Genkai and Kenshin stared at each other in complete befuddlement, Yusuke suddenly had one of his bright ideas and, without any warning, punched himself on the face. With a muffled "Oro", Kenshin fell down the ground in a quivering heap, his emphatic bond with the rambunctious spirit detective activating and causing him to lose his already compromised sense of balance.

It was then that realization finally struck the wizened martial artist. In the middle of the Demon Sword's dismal arc, the sympathetic swordsman probably flipped his blade in the last minute to avoid getting her beheaded. 'And the Rei Handou didn't work on him because there wasn't a trace of malice in him. He didn't even try to press his advantage when he attacked me.' Genkai shook her head as she chuckled to herself.

Yusuke was just about to tackle the kneeling Kenshin with a swarm of power punches when Genkai friendlily offered her hand to the swirling-eyed swordsman and gently asked, "Can you get up?"

Kenshin blinked and nodded in affirmative while, from behind him, Yusuke forced himself to skid to a halt.

"Sorry about that little scuffle earlier. I've mistaken you for someone else."

Kenshin beamed at the old woman. "An understandable mistake, I'm sure. I have such a common-looking face, after all," the redheaded, cross-scarred, effeminate-looking ex-shinigami/rurouni/hitokiri/youkiri guardian of the Demon Sword supposed while the rest of his companions fell to the ground in utter chagrin.

"So what exactly are you? A samurai spirit?" Genkai pleasantly asked, looking at Kenshin more closely and nonchalantly feigning ignorance in regards to his true identity. "You must be centuries old, then. Were you originally human?"

Kenshin assented, "Yes, I was born a human, but I was also born only about a century ago. I was, well, so to speak 'separated' from my friends in 1878, and...!"

Genkai held up her hands. "Wait, wait, let's at least go inside. It sounds like we have much to discuss here," she declared, turning to Botan, who could only numbly nod in response.

"Come. I prepared some tea a short while ago, so I'd love for you all to join me inside."

Keiko, Yusuke, and Botan blinked at the strange scenario for a few more minutes before dazedly heeding Genkai's request. They still couldn't understand what just happened, even at that point.

"What the..." Yusuke started, let out a few expletives, invented a few new creative swear words about ingesting animal excrement for the hell of it, and continued, "...just happened?"

* * *

_Forty-eight years earlier..._

"Kuzu Ryu Sen," Battousai patently declared before pivoting on his heels, leaping forward, and executing a saw-like Ryu Kan Sen Arashi instead. He had been bamboozling the forward-rushing, durable, yet ultimately limited Younger Toguro for all of three minutes, acting like a daring matador to the muscle-bound human's frantic bull rush.

Toguro swung at the flitting, hummingbird-like Battousai with blistering lefts and rights, but the nimble swordsman was able to make the lumbering ox of a man look like a one dimensional, inept, and amateurish fighter by fighting an intelligent fight.

Even though the two had sparred numerous times on even terms before, it was Battousai, not Toguro, who took advantage of their familiarity with each other, mocking Toguro's knowledge of his techniques by mentioning their names and doing other techniques entirely. More to the point, the ever-looming threat of the Kuzu Ryu Sen and the legendary Amakakeru Ryu No Hiramki distracted Toguro to near panic, leaving him open to other less powerful but still effective Hiten Mitsurugi Techniques.

The heavily injured Genkai tried to assist her untimely rescuer, but she wasn't able to because of her current condition. She fought back her tears as emotions of betrayal and bewilderment threatened to crush her broken heart.

"Stop it! Stop it, Toguro!" she beseeched. "You'll die."

As the whole lot of them was in the middle of a world of nightmares and disaster, so too was Toguro, but in a different sense entirely. He simply could not catch Battousai, his entire offensive rendered futile and useless as his opponent proved the age-old adage, "Speed kills," in spades.

"Kuzu Ryu Sen." Finally, Battousai's coup de grace technique happened, and his powerhouse of an adversary was caught flatfooted by the ensuing nine strikes. The swordsman's feints earlier had finally confused Toguro so badly that when the youkiri actually did the Kuzu Ryu Sen after announcing its name, the martial artist wasn't able to defend against it. Toguro was not able to solve the complex puzzle that was Battousai's Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu, and he had no answers to his opponent's attacks.

"Toguro!" Genkai screeched as she tried crawling towards her fallen companion. As she did so, Battousai poised himself directly at the dimensional veil shaken by the migration of spirits and, a split-second later, performed the strongest Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu technique.

"AMAKAKERU RYU NO HIRAMEKI!" The space in front of Battousai warped and twisted before it altogether burned out like so much plastic wrapping inside an incinerator. The Youtou Shinnoken was normally not the kind of sword used to cut through kekkai, but because of the twin atomic blasts, the Spirit World's halved powers because of the gathering of dead people, and Battousai's physics-defying strike, the Reikai barrier never even stood a chance.

Toguro grit his teeth in agony and helplessness. Uncharacteristically, he seethed to himself, "If only I were strong enough. Dammit, I wish I were strong enough!" He struggled to get up, but his wounded legs merely continued to spurt out blood in response. "Move, dammit! MOVE!" he commanded as he started beating his rubbery thighs and knees with his balled-up fists in vain, his blood pooling all over the dark ether that served as the floor.

"Enough, Toguro! You're only making your injuries worse!" Genkai choked, a lump of raw emotion caught in her throat. Her mixed reaction in regards to Battousai's breakdown and attempt to involve himself in Human World affairs by seeking revenge on the Americans quickly dissolved after seeing the brutal flogging he did of Toguro.

Toguro didn't bother listening to any of Genkai's pleas, managing to somehow get back up to his feet despite his numerous cuts and lesions. He was breathing rather heavily though, and his body felt unwieldy and leaden. "No. Not yet. I will stop that madman. This war is about to end, and the killing must end here." He lumbered towards the diminutive yet deadly spirit guardian with grim determination.

"I couldn't agree more. However, Genkai's right, Toguro. You've already been defeated. If you insist on continuing this fight, you really will die," a melancholy voice from behind Toguro warned, startling both him and Genkai.

The Youkiri Battousai sneered at the latest newcomer. "Koenma."

Koenma's blue and gray outfit fluttered against the winds produced by the freshly torn barrier. "But Battousai... no, _Himura-san_... still spared your life, didn't he? That means he hasn't really gone mad with grief or any of that nonsense," the Spirit World Prince bluntly pointed out to Toguro as he deliberately took his pacifier out of his mouth and gently pushed the larger man aside."You still have your wits about you, Himura-san. Everything about your plan was premeditated and calculated, as to be expected from a swordsman of your caliber."

Battousai raised a skeptical eyebrow. "And your point is...?"

"You have committed a premeditated crime, and so I, as second-in-command of the Spirit World, have no choice but to place you under arrest." Koenma dramatically pointed his pacifier at the treacherous swordsman. "So who are you supposed to be now? The maker of the new world? I overheard you claim that you're going to be both a manslayer and demon slayer soon. Don't you know that your plan directly breaches Spirit World protocol?"

A flock of demons started to gather from behind the erstwhile hitokiri. "Again, what is your problem? What I'm doing is out of your jurisdiction now. I take full responsibility for my actions."

Koenma nodded. "That's all I wanted to hear. Catch." Unceremoniously, he threw his pacifier at Battousai, a boundless eldritch fire from across the centuries congregating within the object's deceptively minute mass.

* * *

_Forty-eight years later..._

Together, the five made their way into the main room of the dojo, where Genkai set about gathering some pillows and spreading them out in a line in front of the pillow she planned to use. Keiko went around to the back of the dojo to look for Puu. Yusuke, meanwhile, lay against a wall and sulked. He was still quite bemused about Genkai and Kenshin's bizarre exchange earlier, and he wouldn't let the subject drop. Meanwhile, Botan and Kenshin spent the time deciding on the best way to explain the situation to Genkai.

Genkai spared Kenshin another fond look before mentally concluding, 'No. He is not the person I thought he was. Or rather, he is not the Youkiri Battousai whom I battled against some forty-odd years ago back in the Second World War. No, this man before me is the Himura Kenshin that I got to know during my years in Koenma's freshly formed team that eventually became the Reikai Tantei.'

In time, Genkai had several pillows and tea set up, and motioned for Kenshin, Botan, and Yusuke to sit, which they obliged. Shortly afterwards, Keiko walked back into the room from the back entrance while a massive blue creature followed her. It was easily fifteen feet long, and had a beak-like mouth that it was smacking back and forth.

Only Kenshin was shocked at the appearance of the gigantic creature. "What... What is that? I've never seen a creature like that."

Keiko giggled. "This is Puu, a representation of Yusuke's inner spirit. Isn't that right, Yusuke?" She grinned.

Yusuke rolled his eyes and looked at Kenshin, his earlier protests in regards to the weird fight earlier momentarily forgotten. "It's a long story. Just think of Puu as my pet, all right? It'll make things much easier."

"Your pet?" Genkai chuckled. "I'm the one that took Puu off of your hands. You were ready to leave him to fend for himself." Her laugh was replaced by a look of seriousness. "But enough small talk," she said as Keiko took a seat in front of her while Puu lay down to continue his rest.

Genkai quickly surveyed the four people in front of him, her eyes settling on Kenshin. "You said you're a human swordsman that became a spirit. What do you mean by that? I doubt Koenma would make an error in leaving you in the Human World."

Kenshin shook his head. "No, no, Genkai-baasan, it's nothing like that." He thought for a moment before continuing, "You see, I come from the 1860s and 1870s, when Japan was going through a period of restoration and reform. I fought for the Ishin Shishi in the Bakumatsu, and brought about the Meiji Government."

Genkai sighed, pouting at the fact that Kenshin had apparently lost all his memories following his meteoric rise as one of the best warrior shinigami the Spirit World had ever seen. Being trapped in the Demon Sword for a good forty years or so had probably something to do with it, but she was still mostly glad that he had reverted back to his peace-loving pacifist self whom she knew and loved; a person who only used violence on those who threatened the weak and defenseless.

However, in the back of her mind, she asked herself, 'Wasn't that the same objective his other persona, Battousai, had several decades ago?' She shook her head and decided that her musings were thoughts for another day. After all, she still had to deal with the fact that she could see the Harbinger of Death... a bad omen of a star that she had not seen since she fought Toguro and got killed by him. 'So am I going to die again soon, huh? It's only a question of when, then.'

Kenshin tentatively carried on with his discourse despite noticing the glazed, inattentive look in Genkai's eyes, waving it off as the rigors of old age. "Unfortunately, even ten years into our relative peace, there were those who wished to go back to the ways of old, and wanted to destroy the new Japanese government."

"Bastards," Yusuke muttered, only to be whacked on the head by Botan.

"Don't interrupt, you jerk," she growled at Yusuke, only to sweetly address Kenshin with a smile a moment later. "Sorry about that. Please continue, Kenshin."

Kenshin smiled wincingly as, yet again, the emphatic bond between him and Yusuke activated. "Of course, Botan-dono." He rubbed his head. "Anyway, right before he was assassinated, Toshimichi Okubo asked me if I would quell the uprising of a particularly nasty man seeking revenge, and I accepted. My friends and I succeeded in thwarting his plans, but in our final duel, we died at each other's hands." He sighed and shrugged. "To be honest, I don't entirely know what happened next after Koenma encased my spirit in this strange sword, but I remained in here for Enma-knows-now-long until Yusuke-dono found the blade and released me." He looked at Yusuke. "Thank you again, Yusuke-dono."

"Don't mention it," Yusuke mumbled lazily.

Genkai's blank stare at Kenshin soon turned into a piercing glare. "You have quite the tale to tell, Himura Kenshin," she assessed. "But tell me: Why did Okubo select you among all the hitokiri in Japan to deal with such a plan? Did he think highly of you?" She already knew the answer to that, of course, but she wanted to know just how much of his past did Kenshin _still_ remember.

Kenshin looked down at the ground, debating whether he should reveal everything to Genkai. Finally, he looked at her again. "Yes, he did. He selected me because I was the Hitokiri Battousai, and the person I was to assassinate was my successor, Shishio Makoto."

Genkai's eyes widened in exaggerated surprise. "You were the Hitokiri Battousai?" She blinked several times to illustrate her shock. "Were you the only one then with such a title?"

"Yes." Kenshin nodded gravely.

"Why, is that a big deal or something?" Yusuke asked half-heartedly. "Does that mean he was really powerful or something? Besides, didn't you call him something else earlier, granny? It was youkiri something-something, if I recall correctly."

"Shut up, Yusuke," Genkai snarled, eager to hear more from her long-lost yet partially amnesiac comrade. "Please continue, Himura-san."

Kenshin resumed his story a bit hesitantly. "Well, I retired after Japan's Civil War ended, and Shishio took my place. He didn't entirely work out with the government, and they betrayed him. In trying to kill him, however, they failed and only fueled his desire for revenge. That is why I was sent to stop him."

Kenshin exhaled. "But that's all in the past now, Genkai-dono. All I truly wish to do now is find out what became of my friends. I came to you because I was hoping you might be able to provide me with some information, since they might still have been alive when you were young..."

Only after finishing that statement did Kenshin realize how rude it was. Genkai only laughed good-naturedly, however. "Just how old did Botan tell you I was?" she queried.

"My most sincere apologies, Genkai-dono! I..." Kenshin began.

"Don't be sorry, Himura-san. I've had people call me far worse things, even from my worthless student there." She pointed to Yusuke.

"Hey!" Yusuke shouted. "Just what did I ever do to you, you old hag? You could lighten up once in a while, you know." He folded his arms.

Botan tapped Kenshin's shoulder. "Um, excuse me, Kenshin, but my Japanese history is a little rusty. Could you explain just who your Battousai self was back during your time? I've been hearing that strange little moniker of yours an awful lot lately."

Kenshin smiled. "Of course, Botan-dono. It means that I was the top assassin in Japan at the time." He shook his head. "A dubious thing to be known for, but I was. I killed countless numbers of people, and only after I lost what I truly held dear did I realize my errors and vow never to kill again." He looked at Yusuke, "That is why I would not let you slay any of those demons, Yusuke-dono. I hate seeing the life drain out of a person, no matter how vicious he may have been."

"No problem," Yusuke casually answered. "I don't really care as long as I get the job done." As he finished, the five felt a massive tremor deep within the ground beneath them. It was weak at first, but gradually grew stronger and stronger until Keiko fell over, prompting Yusuke to rush over and pick her up.

"Shit. What's going on now?"

* * *

_Forty-eight years earlier..._

"MAFUU KAN!"

Battousai was caught completely off-guard by the sudden burst of energy that blasted out from Koenma's holy relic. He had always assumed that the sometimes toddler-like prince was nothing more than a figurehead ruler like his father, but that assumption was proving to be a grave mistake on his part. That... coupled with the fact that he was never good against projectile-based fights, preferring to instead decapitate his opponents in closed-quarter combat before any sort of shot was fired... had put the manipulative death god incarnate in a bind. This was a rare occurrence, for sure.

"Well played, my prince," Battousai smirked as he struggled against the waves of reiki with his own kenki or sword-ki. "But it would seem that we're now in a bit of an impasse. I mean, how can you possibly seal the damage I've wrought to your precious barrier if you have to use all your power to seal me?"

"I don't need to. Don't overestimate your abilities, Himura-san. My pacifier has accumulated centuries' worth of energy since its creation. You may be one of the strongest shinigami we've ever had, but even you are simply no match against eons and eons of power." From there, Koenma started to truly concentrate on overwhelming Battousai with his astoundingly potent spiritual force.

Battousai felt like the whole world was on his shoulders. He felt the very essence of his soul begin to break down one ectosplasm after the other as wave upon wave of choleric celestial energy ate at his semi-tangible form like a powerful acid. 'Dammit,' he cursed to himself.

"Your arrogance is rather typical of your race, Himura-san. How dare you abuse the power I've assigned to you and take on the roles of judge and executioner by yourself. How dare you kill an entire brigade of my father's personal army because of your flawed sense of justice. You have no right to do such things."

Koenma dramatically waved his arms in intricate circular patterns, which resulted in making the Mafuu Kan release even more of his pacifier's stored energy. Battousai then staggered at the maelstrom of plasma that ensued.

"We have enough humans in your former world trying to take on the role of death, the destroyer of worlds. We celestial beings have no right to handle human affairs. Let them sort things out for themselves."

Koenma was afterwards taken aback by the venom found in Battousai's subsequent reply.

"Aren't you sick and tired of looking down on humans like little ants, Koenma? Because of that attitude of yours, you will never understand the implications of the events that happened today. The people that died back in Hiroshima and Nagasaki had names and faces. Hopes and dreams. This new, horrible weapon erased all that in an instant. These are lives that can never be brought back.

"They had nothing to do with this war. Do you dare stop me from giving them their due? The people who created that bomb must be punished. They must realize the consequences of their actions early on or you might as well leave all of humanity to die. Besides, as you had no power against the creation and deployment of those bombs, so too will you have no power against what's about to happen."

Unbidden, Koenma felt a drip of cold sweat slide down his cheek. He then reeled as Battousai did a second Amakakeru Ryu No Hirameki right in the middle of the emerald energy barrier the shinigami was trapped in. He was not only powerful talent-wise; he also had the resolve to use his power to the fullest when called for.

The succession technique, powerful as it was, could only manage to momentarily disrupt the tidal wave surge of the Mafuu Kan for a short period of time, but it was enough time for the Youkiri Battousai to leap forward and knock out, even kill, the Spirit World Prince.

However, to everyone's surprise, it was Genkai who took advantage of the opportunity and freed Battousai altogether by grabbing hold of Koenma's pacifier and dispelling the Mafuu Kan barrier.

"Genkai!" Toguro and Koenma chorused in alarm. Even Battousai was mildly amazed by the turn of events.

"Are you going to betray me as well? Are you going to side with him now?" the celestial being demanded the roughed-up martial artist as he finally lost his composure and fell on his knees. "The war is about to end. We should leave things be. Please."

"Why?" Battousai himself queried as he loomed over the shorter woman, curious as to why Genkai suddenly decided to help him at that point in time. "Have you changed your mind?"

The Younger Toguro tensed his torn muscles and cocked a fist back; he was prepared to punch a hole in Battousai's sternum if ever the diabolical swordsman even dared lay a finger on Genkai.

"When you're right, you're right. Somebody has to take responsibility for all of the people who had died. They all had names, faces, and compassion for each other that was all their own. How dare the Spirit World let their deaths be in vain. No doubt, Japan will now surrender to America, lest the rest of it will turn to ash."

Genkai shut her eyes. "Their lives will never be given due justice, the Americans will never be punished for their own war crimes, and outside of Japan, the bombings will be viewed at best as a necessary evil, and at worst as something that our nation deserved. I understand what will happen, and why you have to do this."

Wordlessly, Genkai reactivated the spiritual tempest contained within Koenma's pacifier and stabbed her closed fist into the rogue shinigami's abdomen. A shocked look passed Battousai's features before it melted into an expression of resignation and defeat. He smirked and nodded at Genkai in acknowledgement of her victory.

After a few seconds, Koenma realized what Genkai had done and reactivated the Mafuu Kan in order to completely seal Kenshin within the now cursed Youtou Shinnoken. Meanwhile, Genkai herself collapsed into the waiting arms of a kneeling Toguro, bawling her heart out.

"I can't. I have heard all that I need to hear and... I can't. It has to stop. The war has to stop now. We have no other choice. I'm so sorry, Himura-san."

Several days later, the breach that Kenshin Himura had made was repaired by the surviving Tokubetsu Boueitai, and Japan itself, as Genkai and many other people predicted, issued their surrender to America.

* * *

_Forty-eight years later..._

"Ah! I hate earthquakes!" Botan cried, grabbing onto Puu, who managed to stay upright due to his huge mass.

"No, this isn't an earthquake. This is something much more powerful." Genkai shook her head and ran outside where she could feel the vibrations of unnatural energy being used. Sliding the door open swiftly, she scurried onto her grassy lawn with Yusuke and Kenshin right behind her, hoping to see if she could figure out what was causing the trembling.

They saw a familiar figure blowing into a flute of some kind. Behind him were three massive silhouettes, all a bit hard to distinguish because they were climbing the stairs leading up to the dojo, but their presence soon became known. When the flute-blower noticed Genkai glaring at him, he sneered and slipped the flute in his belt, causing the tremors to stop. He couldn't keep the wicked grin off his face as he looked at Genkai, then Yusuke.

"That flute's really something, isn't it?" he mused. "This is absolutely wonderful. I would have never thought that..."

"Shut the hell up, Rando!" Yusuke cried. "What the hell are you doing here? You should be in prison right now, rotting away for the rest of your fucking life! So what, are you ready for Round Two of my beat down of you? Come and get some, asshole."

"Such naughty words." Rando grinned sinisterly. "Prison is for the worthless lowlifes of the Spirit World. I belong to a much higher state of being." Rando turned his attention back to Genkai. "And you, you little bitch, I swear that by the end of the day, your corpse will be crawling with maggots. We'll kill you both, as well as whoever the hell that is!" He pointed at Kenshin.

"No, Rando. You can have the others, but Urameshi is all mine," an enormously deep voice grumbled from behind the tattooed youkai. Stepping from out of the shadows, the creature revealed himself to be a giant, twelve-feet-tall stone golem that resembled a tortoise. Spikes and claws seemed to be chiseled into the naked monster's physique. His jagged teeth morphed into a twisted grin when he looked at Yusuke.

The spirit detective took a hesitant step back, totally shocked. "Genbu? What the fuck? Kurama tore you to pieces about a year ago!"

"That was in the past, Urameshi. This is now, and we're going to return the favor," another voice said, that of an obese blue-white tiger adorned with only a brown loincloth wrapped around his waist. At least twelve feet tall like Genbu, the tiger's massive size made it appear as though he should have trouble simply stepping forward, but he didn't appear to be in any discomfort. "We've been waiting for this day to come, and our powers have grown much greater. That trick your moronic friend pulled on me so long ago won't work now."

"Byakko," Yusuke groaned. He looked at Genkai, "This isn't good, granny. Something must have happened to resurrect these bastards. Maybe it was that Chojin guy who did it."

Genkai nodded. "Possibly, but I'm a bit more concerned about Rando himself. His eyes burn with a desire for revenge I haven't seen in a very long time," she ascertained.

"How do you know these monsters?" Kenshin asked, placing a hand on his sword's handle. "If they threaten us, I won't hesitate to fight."

Yusuke rolled his eyes. "Of course they're here to threaten us, genius! Granny, right after you trained me, Kuwabara, Kurama, Hiei, and I fought these jerks. It was a long, long time ago and we thought we had destroyed them back then."

The last one of the colossal beasts stepped forward as well. "You did actually kill us, Urameshi. You and the rest of your pathetic brood somehow managed to defeat us. However, we have now been revived and are ready to exact revenge upon you."

The human-sized figure looked small in comparison to his titanic compatriots, but the power that his body exuded was unmistakably tremendous. He took in a humanoid form that sported greenish and black skin. He also wore a pair of loose, cobalt sweat pants and a tattoo of an ice dragon that extended all around his torso and arms.

"But how...?" Kenshin's question was interrupted by Yusuke.

"Wait a second. I see Genbu, Byakko, and Seiryu, but where's Suzaku? Let him come out and face the guy who kicked the crap out of him!" Yusuke shouted, but Rando could only chuckle at the half-demon's bluster.

"Unfortunately, Suzaku had other business to attend to. But he allowed us the great pleasure of destroying all of you."

"So Suzaku's the one behind this little plan?" Yusuke boomed again. "Never mind, then! I'll just tear the shit out of all of you!"

Rando's mouth twitched as his irises burned red with rage and anticipation. His clawed fingers were also twitching eagerly, his blood practically boiling in expectation. He simply couldn't wait to make Yusuke eat his own words. 'We'll see which one of us will beat the shit out of the other.'

"Yusuke!" Genkai hissed. "Be very careful. I can tell Rando's power has increased greatly since we last saw him, and no doubt the other three have grown more powerful than when you encountered them last as well."

"Yusuke? Genkai? Kenshin? What's going on?" Botan asked as she and Keiko emerged from the dojo. When they saw the four monsters standing at the top of the stairs, they ran behind Kenshin and Yusuke.

Genkai allowed herself to glance at them quickly. "Girls, get back! There's not going to be a lot of my lawn left by the time we're finished with these beasts."

Genbu grunted. "You're awfully confident, you old hag. It's four on three. Do you honestly think that you can defeat all of us?"

Kenshin leaned into Genkai's ear and whispered, "My pardons, Genkai-baasan, but he has a point. We should create some sort of plan."

"There's no need for that." Yusuke shook his head, "It's simple. I'd love to destroy Rando for the third time, so I'll take him on. You two can handle his three goons. They were pieces of shit the last time; they can't be anything else now."

Genkai nodded. "That's the best way to do it. I'm feeling the greatest energy waves from Rando, so he's likely the strongest of them."

"Enough of this talk!" Rando shrieked as his aura flared like a blast furnace. He looked at Genbu, Byakko, and Seiryu, all of whom were leaning forward and poised to attack. "Our time for vengeance has come!"

Kenshin, Yusuke, and Genkai went into their respective fighting stances as they braced themselves for the assault of three of the four Saint Beasts.

"Keiko, we better get out of the way," Botan recommended as she offered her hand to the shorter girl. "Let the real fighters do their stuff!"

"Yes, of course, Botan-san!" Keiko affirmed.

"Yusuke! Himura-san! It's a group attack!" Genkai screeched at her two other compatriots. "We need attacks that cover a large area to stop them from reaching us. From there, we just divide and conquer!"

"Hell yeah!" Yusuke shouted as he prepared his most devastating area attack. "I'm ready when you are, granny. How about you, samurai?"

"Um, I'm not really a samurai, but more of a..." Kenshin politely corrected, but he was then quickly interrupted by the awesome force of Genkai and Yusuke's combined attack.

"Whatever... SHOTGUN!"

"REI-KOU-DAN!"

"YOU-GAN!"

After recovering from the recoil of the joint assault by means of his well-trained nimbleness, Kenshin attempted to execute his own wide area attack in the form of a well-placed Dou Ryu Sen on the ground, but he quickly stopped himself as he spotted a flash in the corner of his eye.

'Wait a second... the third attack... it wasn't said by either Genkai-dono nor Yusuke-dono,' Kenshin surmised as he quickly calculated the origin of the flicker of light he saw and the connection it had with the mysterious third attack.

A good fifteen yards away stood Rando, his pointer finger smoking like the barrel of a recently fired gun, a grim expression on his face.

Rando's finger was incidentally pointed at Keiko and Botan's direction. The fast-approaching ball of red-colored demonic energy loomed nearer and nearer towards the flabbergasted and stunned girls.

Kenshin was able to deduce everything in a fraction of a second. Any later than that, it would have been too late. But it wasn't too late. Not yet, at the very least.

Kenshin narrowed his eyes. He saw no other option. He knew what he had to do.

Half a second later, Kenshin crumpled to the ground in agony.

* * *

**To be Continued...**

_Next: The myriad of fights._

I hope you enjoyed the origin story, the "Harbinger of Death" star plot point found in the old-school anime, "Hokuto No Ken", and the tweaking of various plot holes from before. I most certainly did. Thanks for reading, and I hope to see you again!

_Ja ne!_  
**Abdiel**


	6. Chapter 5

**Youtou Shinnoken: Demon Sword**

A Yuyu Hakusho/Rurouni Kenshin fic  
by Chester Castañeda

Original concept by Chad Yang

Er, hi. Abdiel here. Youtou Shinnoken's back. I have some good news and some bad news, though. Oh well. Just check the Author's Notes.

_Disclaimer: Yuyu Hakusho is the rightful property of Yoshihiro Togashi, Shueisha, Fuji TV and St. Pierrot. Rurouni Kenshin is the rightful property of Nobuhiro Watsuki and Sony. Don't sue us please. We are very poor._

* * *

**Chapter 5: Heart of Sword (Part 5)**

* * *

The combined attack of Yusuke and Genkai _should_ have disabled at least most of the charging Saint Beasts... in theory. However, it was not so in reality, because the obese demon known as Byakko had some very unique abilities that enabled him to counter the deadly combination of the Shotgun technique and the Rei-Kou-Dan maneuver.

Byakko cackled has he opened his mouth and completely sucked and absorbed the two attacks like they were nothing at all. From there, he let out a deafening roar as he hollered an ear-splitting, "MEI-KO-SHOU-KAI-HA!"

A furious stream of youki subsequently came forth his gaping maw; youki that had been transformed from the pure reiki of the previous offensive. Under the furious assault that they were subjected to, Yusuke and Genkai barely had time to duck for cover as an entire portion of the patio disintegrated into nonexistence.

"Goddammit. It seems like the not-so-saintly beasts really have gotten better since the last time we fought," Yusuke noted as he nimbly avoided the larger pieces of rock, stone and debris that fell upon him and his companions. "They're not the Class-C shit they used to be."

"You should expect as much. They're no ordinary youkai. Not anymore, at the very least. Aside from youki, I can also sense the overwhelming jaki churning inside of them. They're now like vengeful, corporeal spirits. In their quest for vengeance, it's their own negative feelings of hatred and spite that provide them with nearly unlimited reserves of power," Genkai informed as she began assessing her best approach of attack.

"Humph. They're just like that loser Yakumo, then," Yusuke derisively appraised, snorting in disdain. "I don't really have that much respect for people who don't rely solely on their strength of their fists. They're just a bunch of sissies to have to depend on jaki to win a fight." Eventually, the sleek-haired young lad noticed that something was amiss.

"Hey, granny; where's Kenshin?"

"I'm not sure. I thought he was with you," Genkai said, merely shrugging as she spotted another wave of ionized gas headed towards their direction. "Keep on your toes, Yusuke! There's more where that came from!"

"I know! You don't need to tell me!" Yusuke yelled back, furiously punching his way through the rain of rubble as he consciously avoided Byakko's second assault. 'Looks like the Rei-Gan's out of the question now, what with that fat pig in the way. Where's that wimpy samurai when you needed him? I thought he was supposed to be this legendary swordsman and shit...'

In the meantime, at the Shisejyu's side, Byakko had already run out of ammunition and energy; so much so that he could barely control himself and his hunger pangs. He was practically starving for more reiki to corrupt. The youkai soon became near-mindless and feral as he lunged at the fleeting image of Genkai in an attempt to satisfy his insatiable appetite for blood and power, only to be put in check moments later by Seiryu himself.

A cold and menacing look from Seiryu, Byakko's original murderer, was all it took to silence the massive youkai. The light of intelligence finally returned in the demon's untamed eyes, only to be replaced by a glint of frustration and disappointment. It was as if Byakko's eyes were saying, 'Let me eat.'

Seiryu merely shook his head, and left it at that.

Genkai didn't miss any of this as she began pondering the meaning of the two Saint Beasts' wordless gestures. 'Could it be that their attack was just a ruse of some sort?'

Genkai subsequently became aware of the flash of red energy that emanated from far away. "Oh no. Yusuke! Look out! It's a trap! They're...!"

She was then silenced by the elaborate yet razor sharp patterns of ice that suddenly materialized in front of her. She could not possibly warn Yusuke in time, not with the awkward position she was currently in. She could only pray to the gods that somehow Yusuke would figure everything out by himself as she did her best to avoid getting impaled by the lethal onslaught.

But it was already too late.

Yusuke's eyes widened in shock and fright as he heard a duet of panicked, female screams. 'What the hell?' He then felt it... the huge amount of youki that was headed straight for Keiko and Botan. 'Rando! I can feel Rando's ki signature from that attack of his! Damn that bastard!'

He had to do something to stop it. He desperately lunged towards the direction of the shrieks, using every last bit of his speed to somehow get there in time and deflect the errant attack. Instead, he saw the last thing he expected to see.

Kenshin Himura, the person he labeled as a 'useless wimp', was the very person who was standing in the way of Keiko and Botan's oblivion.

"Kenshin!" Yusuke shouted in shock as the misidentified samurai absorbed the brunt of the attack. The spirit detective clenched his fists until his knuckles became white and grit his teeth in a combination of frustration, anger, and pain. Of course, he didn't miss the fact that the energy ball was an underhanded ploy of his past nemesis. 'Damn. Damn that Rando!'

'Wait. Why am I...?' Yusuke reflected incredulously as he felt a shooting anguish on his right shoulder and on the side of his abdomen; which was a strange coincidence, since Kenshin himself was hit on his right side as well. 'Did Rando fire a second shot? Was I hit by him too? That bastard!'

But Yusuke knew that it wasn't the case. No other shot was fired and none of the Saint Beasts were able to hit him with their attacks. Then he remembered the numerous instances where Botan or Keiko would whack either one of them and then they would both feel the pain.

'Shit! I almost forgot! Whatever happens to Kenshin also happens to me and vice-versa!' Yusuke dolefully remembered as he held his bleeding shoulder while tending to the painful ache of his now-broken ribs. 'Fuck. Fuck all to hell! If that's the case, then we really are in deep shit.' He eyed Kenshin bitterly. 'Why'd you have to make a martyr out of yourself, you moronic, half-wit samurai?'

* * *

"Keiko-dono, Kaoru-dono! LOOK OUT!"

Kenshin braced himself as the blast impacted on his torso, feeling what could be the equivalent of pain had he still been alive. it was as if the pressure from the surging energy had metaphorically broken a couple of his metaphoric ribs and shoulder blade. 'It's been a while since I've felt pain like this,' he contemplated as he unceremoniously fell down flat on his back.

After a few more seconds of intense pain, he managed to sit up and look over his shattered shoulder. A small smile crept up his lips after he saw that Botan and Keiko, albeit crying, were still mostly safe. "Yes," he whispered hoarsely, relieved.

Botan was the first one to come to the ex-rurouni's aid. "Dummy! What possessed you to do that? Koenma-sama said that your physical form is still unstable. What if something happened to you and the sword! We could've lost you forever! Kenshin, you jerk!" she managed to choke out, sputtering everything she had said in a span of a few seconds before Kenshin altogether silenced her with a quiet smile and a finger on her lips.

"Shush. Don't look so sad. It doesn't become you."

Flustered, Botan rejoined, "You are a complete and total idiot! You didn't even get my name straight! Don't you know that it's insulting for a girl to be called by some other girl's name? I'm Botan, not Kaworu or whoever! BO-TAN... Botan!" Even the saddened ferry-girl had to smile a bit at her remark, despite her tears and all. "Never do that again, Kenshin!"

Kenshin chuckled weakly. "I promise to."

"Well, she's right about one thing. You really are an idiot."

Everyone fell silent upon hearing the malicious statement because it was an avowal made by Yusuke himself.

Keiko was the first one to break the ice, stating, "Yusuke! Don't speak like that to Kenshin! How could you...?" before she noticed that, strangely enough, Yusuke was also in a similar incapacitated state as Kenshin. "W-What happened? Are you all right?" But Yusuke wasn't listening to her.

The half-demon straightforwardly glared at Kenshin, his eyes aflame in contempt. "Because of your 'martyr' act, you've gotten us into deep shit. I could've taken out Rando and his goons with one hand tied behind my back, but not anymore. Not like this! Because of your highfaluting, moralistic bullshit, we're all going to get screwed!

"Hey! Yusuke! How can you possibly blame Kenshin for what happened to... you?" Botan demanded confusedly, still not understanding the situation at hand completely.

Kenshin looked mournfully and apologetically at Yusuke. "Sorry. I only wanted to protect Keiko-dono and Kao... Botan from harm. I only wanted to save those who are important to you. I never realized that you would also be..."

"Save it," was Yusuke's only reply, silencing the rueful ex-rurouni. He then added, "I know what you wanted to do and why you did it. But it won't change the fact that everything's now screwed up." The young spirit detective could only pull his hair out in frustration as he shut his eyes. "Besides, it's too late for excuses or apologies," he growled as he looked into the horizon.

Keiko, Kenshin, and Botan could only stare as they followed Yusuke's determined gaze towards a gleeful and cackling Rando a good fifteen yards away.

Rando chortled mightily. "I only used that ki-shot as a way of angering Urameshi by taking out his two floozies. Nonetheless, I think things turned out better this way. This time you're really going down, Urameshi Yusuke! And that bitch Genkai, too!"

'And that samurai's just the person to help me do it,' Rando added to himself, chuckling.

* * *

"No, Rando. You can have the others, but Urameshi is mine," Genbu remembered himself saying earlier when he finally approached the Saint Beasts' designated objective. Of course it was Urameshi whom he needed to defeat; after all, it was him who conquered their great leader Suzaku, right?

The giant stone tortoise-golem did feel a bit disappointed with the fact that the red-haired whip-wielder... Kurama, the one who actually defeated him in battle... was not present in the current fracas. But those were just silly thoughts. His supposed true target was Urameshi, after all. Wait, was he the one with the sleek-black hair or the redhead?

Genbu searched frantically for his intended objective. It would really be embarrassing for him to mistakenly attack someone _other_ than his prey, after all. It all came down to deducing which was which. No, Urameshi wasn't the red-haired gaijin samurai that was hit by Rando's cheap shot or the old crone/martial artist that was currently trapped in one of Seiryuu's attacks. He must be the third fighter then, since Yusuke wasn't a girl either, right? He studied the boy carefully. It seemed that the young lad was still okay for the most part save for his inexplicably bleeding shoulder.

The titanic, boulder-like Saint Beast's jagged teeth morphed into a twisted grin as he stared at Yusuke's current state. He didn't particularly care how or why his opponent was injured; all he knew was that this was the perfect chance for him to strike.

Genbu chuckled in a self-congratulatory manner. This was going to be great! He was about to take down Suzaku's killer with one, easy strike! He was now about to gain the title of "The Strongest of the Shisejyu".

"You mortals are still confined by the earth that you walk on. Because of this, I have complete control over you. Urameshi! Take this! BAKURETSU-GANSHOU-DAN!"

Instantaneously, all the rubble and debris from Byakko's last attack disintegrated into a maelstrom of dust, creating a veritable sandstorm-like wave headed for the hapless Spirit World Detective.

* * *

Yusuke could only stare wide-eyed in shock and confusion for the second time that day as a gigantic tsunami of rock fragments crashed upon him.

Rando shouted maniacally at Genbu; however, his words were drowned out by the loud and noisy Bakuretsu-Ganshou-Dan. 'Dammit. The original version of Genbu's attack was a lot quieter than this. Hell, a herd of stampeding elephants would have been preferable. That idiot doesn't know what he's doing!'

"Yusuke...!" Keiko started as she made her way toward the crashing waves of dirt, only to be immediately held back by Kenshin. "Let me go! I have to help Yusuke somehow! He's in trouble!"

Botan bit her lip as she covered her teary eyes from the dusty winds of the vicious onslaught. "We can't do anything for Yusuke, Keiko. It's all up to him now."

The brown-haired girl sobbed inconsolably on Kenshin's good shoulder after she heard the ferry-girl's remark.

Genbu laughed heartily at his accomplishment. "I did it. I killed Suzaku's murderer! I AM THE STRONGEST OF THE SAINT BEASTS! BWAHAHAHAHA!"

"Humph," Seiryu snorted as he continued to cage in Genkai using intricate and elaborate ice patterns resembling enlarged snowflakes. "That fool thinks he defeated Uramehi, yet he didn't even live long enough to watch the boy fight Suzaku back in the Maze Castle. He has no idea what he's getting into."

"Bastard," was all that Byakko growled as he bared his fangs and unsheathed his claws in irritation.

Kenshin patted the sobbing girl's back as he looked intently at the site of the crashing waves of dirt. "Don't worry. He's all right."

Keiko sniffled as she looked up at the ex-rurouni's face, her eyes red and doubtful. "How can you be sure? H-He was injured a-and he didn't make it out in..."

"This lowly one knows," Kenshin cut Keiko off gently, his velvet eyes clear and sure. "I have discovered that whatever happens to Yusuke-dono, due to our connection through the Demon Sword, happens to me too. _That_ was why he was so, pardon my saying, 'pissed-off' by my actions. What's more, I know he's all right because..."

The earthly tide was suddenly split in half as a tremendous force began pushing the waves of dirt and debris back to its owner.

"...I am also okay. Besides the shooting pain on my shoulder, I am perfectly fine," Kenshin reassured, smiling confidently.

"What the hell?" was all Genbu could squeak out as his attack started to ebb and weaken.

"HYAKU RETSU-KEN!"

Genkai smirked as she heard Yusuke scream out that attack. It wasn't a real Rei-Kou-Hadou-Ken technique, nor was "The Hundred Punch Rush" its real name. But the move, like her former student, was simple and brash enough to finish the job.

She frowned as she eyed her two opponents, Byakko and Seiryu, warily. She felt a coldness and apathy in Seiryu that completely contradicted his claims of vengeance and retribution. It was as if the whole battle was just a script that he had to act out for Kami-sama-knew-what. Byakko, on the other hand...

'His ferocity and viciousness are undeniable. The amount of jaki inside him is far more than all of the present Saint Beasts' negative energy combined. Yet his mindless attack just a while ago seemed almost forced; unnatural, even. It's as if his hunger for murder has absolutely nothing to do with his own vengeful feelings. Something is not right with his soul,' Genkai concluded, perturbed.

Seiryu sneered at the old woman in contempt. 'So this is the Master of the Spirit Light Wave? Bah. Without her Spirit Light Gem, she's nothing to me. I'll show her a power worthy of the so-called A-levels; a power strong enough to counter even the evil-eyed Fire Demon's infamous Kokuryuha.'

Soon, Genkai was trapped by a veritable cubicle of ice as wall upon wall of frost surrounded her. The arena was set. 'Oh well. It's just as well. At least Yusuke and Himura-san's worries have been reduced considerably.' To the two demons, she called out, "C'mon!"

Byakko merely snarled, licking his lips in anticipation. That was all he lived for: vengeance for his defeat, honor, and pride. 'No. None of that really matters. There is only one thing that's important to me; my hunger for violence.' His feral eyes then became glassy as he started to stalk his aged prey.

* * *

Yusuke continuously kept on swinging and punching against the crashing earth waves with his good arm, creating a vacuum of sorts that shielded him from the upsurge. 'Like I said; I can take on all these clowns with one arm tied behind my back.'

Genbu could only stare, dumbfounded, as the human... no, half-demon... known as Yusuke Urameshi reduced his offensive into a mere quibble. This could not... should not be! His rocky teeth grinded hard against each other as he hissed, " Ushiro-Bakuretsu-Ganshou-Dan..."

Yusuke's eyebrows furrowed as he saw all the waves of dust around him begin to form into clumps. 'Explosive Rock Assault _Reversed_? What now?'

"TETSUZAN KOU!"

The clumps of dust instantly solidified into solid rock, encasing Yusuke in a mountain of iron-hard stone.

* * *

Kenshin suddenly had trouble breathing. He knelt down in agony, as though the whole world was on his shoulders.

"Oh my gosh! Kenshin? Are you all right?" Botan inquired the wheezing rurouni worriedly.

"Yusuke... dono... he's... in trouble..." Kenshin managed to say as his vision blurred. His slow suffocation, as well as his present injuries, quickly made his present condition infinitely worse.

"Oh no. Yusuke!" Keiko shouted at her literally petrified childhood friend.

* * *

Genbu appreciatively examined the results of his attack. "Didn't expect that, didn't you? Get crushed by my iron mountain like a pancake, half-breed!"

"Yusuke, you dummy! You're better than this! Don't be such a wimp!" Keiko shouted determinedly, despite her obvious distress.

"Of course not," Yusuke shouted back in a muffled voice. "That guy's got nothing on me."

Keiko squealed in spite of herself. "Thank goodness, you're alive!"

"HA! You can still talk big, even though you're trapped under my enormous mountain? You should just shut up and die," Genbu retorted gleefully.

"Mountain? More like a molehill. JYU REI JYOU ANTE!"

Kenshin suddenly felt a chill on the nape of his neck. 'This is...?'

Botan blinked as she noticed a large number of leaves fly past her, and then gawked, bewildered, as each and every one of those same leaves began to snap in two. "W-What's going on?"

Concurrently, cracks began to appear on Yusuke's stone prison as tendrils of reiki glowed underneath the slowly-breaking mass of rock.

"My kenki is reacting to Yusuke-dono's reiki, as far as I can tell," Kenshin informed, finally able to breathe after a large portion of Yusuke's rocky prison collapsed under the barrage of spiritual energy.

"Sword-ki?" Botan slowly repeated, her voice full of wonder. "The swordsman's presence?"

Before long, the transmuted rock that incased Yusuke was obliterated completely by means of the Spirit Detective's Luminescent Spirit Ante. The furious blast of reiki soon came forth in the form of a flaming blue phoenix, rising from the shattered rock like a resurrected firebird emerging from its egg.

After the stunning spectacle, Yusuke rose from the conflagration of rock and reiki, his eyes burning with a passion and desire like no other. Those were the eyes of Raizen's descendant. Those were the eyes of a Demonic Warlord.

Rando could only shake his head at the idiotic, gargoyle-like Saint Beast. 'You've bitten off more than you can chew, small fry.'

Awestruck; spellbound; no words could describe the expression etched on Genbu's face as he witnessed the true abilities of Yusuke Urameshi. 'I've heard stories about him from the other demons... and he _was_ able to defeat Suzaku... but I never imagined that he could be _this_ powerful! The phoenix god is what Suzaku is supposed to be. But this boy, can he actually be an even _stronger_ Suzaku?'

The granite-hard Saint Beast felt the glare of the young man... half-demon... whatever... burn into him like one of Suzaku's Ankoku-Raijin-Ken. If he could only sweat, then he would be bathed in perspiration right then and there. "I-Interesting," he stuttered, pretending to be 'intrigued' and failing miserably. "You have forced me to use my final attack! Take this. GENBU NO..."

"Eat this."

Rando winced. "Eat this," was a very familiar statement to the red-haired demon. Moreover, he knew what that particular declaration meant, and what soon followed after it.

Yusuke aimed his pointer finger at Genbu with no hesitation whatsoever. From there, tiny pinpoints of light that produced a strange whistling noise gathered to the tip of his pointer finger and coalesced into a concentrated sphere of destructive power.

Genbu could only stare in dumbfounded alarm and fright, his planned counterattack soon forgotten as he winced under the glare of the Reikai Tantei's impressive reiki.

Then, as suddenly as it appeared, the energy from the tip of Yusuke's pointer finger quickly vanished. A confused look crossed the spiritual detective's face as he stared at Genbu in puzzlement.

The stone golem Shisejyu was not one to question opportunities when they arose. "'Eat this', my ass! Chou-Bakurestu-Ganshou-Dan: GENBU NO...!"

"Stop what you're doing right this instant if you still want to live."

The gigantic granite tortoise-demon could only gawk in utter disbelief as he looked over his shoulder and saw a very annoyed and irritated Rando. Little wonder, since the pasty-skinned demon now had his pointer finger aimed at the Saint Beast in the same manner as Yusuke had before, his fingertip brimming with burning youki. "W-What the hell are you doing, Rando?"

"Don't you dare refer to me in such a familiar tone," Rando coolly stated as he regarded his supposed ally in contempt. "You should know your place. You've crossed the line this time, Genbu. Your stupidity knows no bounds."

"What are you talking about? I had Urameshi where I wanted him!"

"The only thing you had was a death wish," Rando stated grimly, his imitation Rei-Gan almost fully charged. "You're cowering under my power now, but imagine what would have happened if you were facing Urameshi's Rei-Gan instead. I bet you'd have the same frightened and pathetic expression then as you have now."

The Sacred Beast of Stone could only swallow and nod in acquiescence. As much as he hated to admit it, he had been lucky this time. If Rando hadn't shocked Urameshi out of his planned Rei-Gan attack, then Genbu would have been a goner by now. The young half-demon was simply out of his league. He bowed down in mortification and defeat.

"The Chojin gave you another chance. Don't blow it," Rando reminded grimly.

Yusuke narrowed his eyes as he straightforwardly demanded, "Pray tell, chuckles; who the hell is the 'Overfiend'?"

"You have no right to know the identity of the Chojin," Rando sneered, and then turned his attention back to Genbu. "There has been a change of plan." Afterwards, using stolen telepathic skills, he relayed his new strategy to all of the Shisejyu.

Seiryu snorted, stating, "Of course. That was what I intended to do in the first place."

Byakko snarled, not at all acknowledging Rando's orders. His prey was his only concern, after all.

Genbu's jagged teeth again formed into a demented smile. "I like it. Let's do it."

Kenshin walked towards Yusuke's side in all humility, but the younger fighter merely gave him the cold shoulder. "Yusuke-dono, I..."

"I know, I know. Just don't get in my way," was the spirit detective's impatient reply.

Rando smirked at the two warriors. "After observing you two for quite sometime now, I have discovered a number of your weaknesses. As such, all you could do now is wait for your oblivion. GENBU!"

"At last! This is what I've been waiting for," Genbu cheered as he prepared his long-delayed technique. "Chou-Bakuretsu-Ganshou-Dan...!"

"Keiko-dono, Kaoru-dono! My pardons, but you have to stay back! There's no telling what Genbu-dono has in store for us."

"GENBU-DONO? Are you nuts? Don't be polite to your enemy! And for the last time, my name is Botan! BO..."

"GENBU NO HOKO!"

A large explosion subsequently rocked the entirety of Genkai's property. The clouds of dust from the blast soon formed into a spiral that shot upwards into the sky, creating a tornado-like sandstorm that swallowed everything in its path.

* * *

"Botan! Yusuke!" Keiko shouted in panic before coughing hoarsely. She covered her eyes and ears reflexively as noise and dust assaulted her senses. As far as she could tell, she was floating off the ground in unknown heights by a dusty hurricane of sorts. She prayed that somehow, somewhere, 'that idiot Yusuke' was safe before she altogether lost her bearings.

Then, as soon as the earthy tempest started, it stopped. She opened her eyes tentatively as she patted the ground with her hands; the solid ground. She exhaled a sigh of relief as she sat up and further surveyed her surroundings. It seemed that she was on a cliff of some sort, probably on the other side of the mountain. She wasn't completely sure.

The teenage girl looked up the sky and saw the beautiful, sparkling star just beside the big dipper once more, her round face illuminated by the pale moonlight. She afterwards felt a heavy hand on her shoulder. "Y-Yusuke?" she queried hopefully as she looked over her shoulder.

She noticed that the hand felt deathly cold; colder than a winter gale.

Before Keiko could shriek in panic, time stopped for her altogether. The bad omen known as the "Harbinger of Death" star had taken yet another victim.

* * *

Kenshin rubbed his eyes for a bit as he struggled to get up from his current prone position. The worst of Genbu no Hoko was over... or so it seemed.

But where were Keiko and Botan? And whatever happened to Genkai and Yusuke? Kenshin inspected his immediate surroundings. Even though he was one of those in the forefront of the dust storm, it would seem that he had never really left his current location. The swordsman spirit could only scratch his head in confusion. 'If the others were carried off to wherever, then why am I still here?'

"SAMURAI!" a proverbially loud voice boomed.

Kenshin turned around in time to see a gleeful-looking Genbu rise up from the dune-filled ground as broken tiles and fragments of rock scattered all over the Sacred Beast.

"Let us fight!"

* * *

Darkness. Botan was deathly afraid of it; which was a little ironic really, since she _was_ Death.

Perhaps it did somehow make sense. Death, despite what other people thought, was a people-oriented job. She just loved being around lots of people. In fact, in the Reikai ferry-girl admission test, she scored the highest on the Social Skills section.

Okay, so she made the 'Reikai ferry-girl admission test' part up, but if there were one, she knew that she'd have a high score on the Social Skills section. That was Botan; the 'Miss Lady Death' type of people person.

Where was she? Oh yes; the damnable darkness. She hated the darkness because it reminded her of loneliness and isolation, which was something that just didn't sit well with her personable personality.

But enough of the darkness monologue. All she had to do was open her eyes to get rid of it anyway. 'Du-h.' But before she did, she heard voices; voices from presumably ugly people. Either that, or they were decent-looking people with the misfortune of having really horrifying voices.

"We made it just in time, big brother! I thought I was going to die in that hurricane!"

"Shut up! Don't remind me. Most of our band had already fled when they discovered that Rando-sama has teamed up with those two other psychos from the Chojin's mental ward. Plus, what little that was left of our demon minions was sucked up into that stupid dust storm! Dammit! Dammit all to hell!"

"But at least we got the girl, right?"

"That's only the consolation we had on this trip. Damn Rando-sama and his pigheadedness. If he only took the Demon Sword as a way to defeat Urameshi like we've planned!"

Who were these losers? 'How'd I end up in this mess? While we're at it, where are Kenshin and the others? The last thing I remember was that stupid sandstorm.' Botan sighed, daring to sneak a peek at her two 'supposed' captors. She winced. 'Ew. I was right with my first guess. They're really ugly.' She blinked. 'Gee. They look awfully familiar.'

"Big brother!" Iehog called out, pointing at the ferry-girl that he carried on his shoulders like a sack of potatoes. "The Reikai woman is awake."

"Oh, great. Knock her out again. I heard her awhile back before Genbu-sama's tornado attack started. She's very noisy and irritating. She's better left unconscious," Iehik offhandedly ordered.

HEY! Don't I get a say in this?" Botan shouted as she materialized her oar and shoved it in Iehog's face. Screaming more in surprise than pain, the large, bearded demon unceremoniously dropped the ferry-girl down on the ground.

"Ouch!" Botan exclaimed as she rubbed her sore bottom. Before it could even occur to her that _this_ was the perfect time for her to escape, Iehik was already upon her. She held her oar forward protectively. "Don't come near me! I have a wooden paddle and I'm not afraid to use it!"

"Relax, will you? We're all in the same situation here," Iehik stated simply as he offered his claws to Botan, his smile seemingly friendly; as friendly as a grinning crocodile's, anyway.

The ferry-girl looked at the diminutive youkai suspiciously. "What do you mean?"

"Isn't it obvious? We're all just spectators in this grand battle of really powerful people," Iehik explained. "We have neither power nor influence in the matter, so in the end we can only do what spectators do best: Watch."

"So what about it?" Botan asked warily, her grip on her oar still tight.

The large-headed demon smiled toothily. "We have a proposition for you."

"No. Uh-uh. Not interested," Botan said as she slowly got up from her sitting position. "I know better than to get into a deal with lower-class youkai. No dice."

Iehik shrugged. "That's too bad, really. Me and my brother have been searching for the Demon Sword for ten long years, so we've discovered very important facts about it that not even the Reikai knows about." He smiled impishly. "And here I was, thinking you would _want_ to help your samurai friend who's now in grave danger."

Botan lifted the portly youkai to his toes with her oar over his neck, which elicited a yelp of, "Big brother!" from Iehog as he nearly lunged at her in alarm. However, Iehik held his brother back with a wave of his claws.

"What do you know about the Demon Sword?" Botan demanded.

"I'll tell as soon as you agree to come with us," Iehik replied snidely yet soothingly. "All we ask for is your company. After which, you'll learn everything you need to know about the enigmatic Demon Sword."

Botan contemplated their proposition for a while. On one hand, the short, fat demon could be lying through his teeth. On the other hand, he could be telling the truth. But could she really risk trusting these two shifty characters?

'C'mon. Don't be a fool like Rando-sama,' Iehik thought, annoyed. 'Rando-sama, Suzaku-sama, even Jine-sama; none of them realizes the true power of the Demon Sword.'

'Oh, what have I got to lose? They're right. I have no control over these 'grand battle' thingies. Besides, they're, like, what? D-level to C-level demons? What can they do? Shed fur on me? Besides, Yusuke's always there to bash these youkai into submission if ever. That is, as soon as I find that good-for-nothing. Other than that...'

She smiled unconsciously as she remembered how Kenshin's finger touched her lips. 'This is all for Kenshin's sake.' She subsequently grimaced in mild irritation after she realized what she was just thinking. 'Get a grip, girl. He's hung over some other girl. Some Kaworu-something-or-the-other.'

"Well?" Iehik asked, half-annoyed and half-hopeful. "Are you done with your internal monologue?"

"Oh, what the heck," Botan relented as she put her paddle away and backed off. "Let's shake on it. Or maybe not," she hastily corrected as she cautiously looked at the portly demon's clawed hands.

"Good, good. Iehog, come. Let's get moving. We have a lot of ground to cover."

"Oh, one other thing; don't ever let your... _pet_ touch me again. I am not, I repeat, _not_ a sack of potatoes," Botan warned.

Iehog merely grunted in response. 'What am I? Chopped liver? What the hell does she mean by 'pet'?'

'She means that you're as stupid as a dog,' Iehik answered for his brother telepathically... a technique that Rando graciously 'borrowed' from him.

'I don't understand why you have to go through the trouble of fooling the girl like that. We could have killed her and be done with it.'

'Don't be a fool! Do you have a death wish? We need her alive, at most unconscious. Anything other than that would be suicidal!'

'I don't understand,' Iehog admitted, scratching his beard in confusion.

'Of course you don't.' Iehik rubbed his chin contemplatively. 'I didn't realize it before, but I now know who the guardian of the sword is. I heard it a while back when the old woman was talking to the samurai. He's the Youkiri Battousai! It's his dark soul that made the Demon Sword what it is today. The ferry-girl is apparently important to him. If we don't play our cards right, _ we_ will be facing his wrath!'

'The wimpy samurai? Dangerous? Pigs will sooner fly!'

'What I speak of is the truth. I intercepted Rando-sama's telepathic orders for the Saint Beasts; the ferry-girl was supposed to be used by Genbu-sama as bait for Battousai. With her around, the overprotective samurai won't be able to concentrate in battle. Unfortunately for Rando-sama, we have other plans for her.'

'What other plans? Our only plan was to steal the Demon Sword while all the others were busy fighting. You're making things up, big brother!'

'Shut up! That was also part of the plan, fool! Now be silent and let me think.'

Botan looked at the glaring brothers in disinterest as she continued to trudge forward. 'Freaky. I sure hope I made the right decision in going along with these two bozos.' To the two supposed 'bozos', she asked, "Where _are_ we going, anyway?"

"To the other side of this mountain, at the uppermost peak. A great battle is happening over there right now, and we wouldn't want to miss it for the world."

* * *

Just like a pig that suddenly found itself airborne, Byakko gawked in shock and disbelief as he flew up into the starry night sky despite his enormous girth. Genkai's Supine Kick Kougeki was a force to be reckoned with indeed.

The White Tiger Shiseyju landed on his feet hard as the ground crumbled under his heels. The ice cage that Seiryu created for them had already shattered in the onslaught of the powerful Genbu no Hoko, but in its place stood dozens of ice fragments and crystals; remnants of the aforementioned hoarfrost prison.

The feral youkai had already tried his previous tricks on the old woman. The beastly fiends, the Kiyodai Ka absorption technique, even his vastly improved Mei-Ko-Shou-Kai-Ha; absolutely nothing worked. The aged martial artist was just too powerful for such low-tier attacks.

Byakko was getting really annoyed and frustrated, which only served to fuel his burning desire for brutality all the more. His eyes glazed over once again as a killer instinct manifested itself deep in his psyche. He became a savage beast, no, even more than that; because beasts merely killed for survival. He, on the other hand, killed because he could and because he enjoyed every minute of it. He needed no other reasons but those.

He was no ordinary beast. He was now a monster. As such, his right arm suddenly stiffened as its muscles hypertrophied.

With a speed that belied his gargantuan mass, Byakko was quickly upon the Matriarch of the Rei-Kou-Hadou-Ken style, quickly slashing downward with his claws as he shredded and tore through the forearm of one very surprised Genkai. This was the first move of the Kaiwan; the Byakko Sou, the White Tiger's talon.

The real fight had finally begun.

* * *

Kenshin breathed in deeply as he gripped the hilt of his sword. 'Has it been _that_ long a time since I have last fought? I mean, aside from the little scuffle I had with those two familiar looking demons. When was the last time I drew my sword? I just don't know. This is the first time I'm going to _ seriously_ fight after a long time.'

Genbu lumbered over to Kenshin's direction. "Well? Are you really the great Guardian of the so-called Demon Sword? The Chojin himself has taken a keen interest in that sword of yours; though personally, I couldn't care less about it."

Kenshin nodded, smiling. "I understand. In my opinion, the Demon Sword doesn't suit you at all, what with your earth-based techniques and so on."

Genbu grunted at the misidentified samurai. Rando convinced him to fight _ this_ loser? What a rip-off. "We're not going to have a tea party, samurai. _We're_ going to battle, and _I'm_ going to win. Stop being such a wimp and draw your sword!"

"Um, I'm not really a samurai, since I wasn't of noble birth..." Kenshin politely corrected.

"I DON'T FUCKING CARE WHAT YOU ARE! Let's just fight and get this over with already!" Genbu shouted in a decisively non-friendly manner. The samurai's... whoever's over-politeness was grating on his nerves. He wasn't used to anybody being nice to him at all, really. It was just too weird for him.

"To be quite frank, I don't really want to fight you, Genbu-dono," Kenshin honestly admitted.

Genbu sighed dejectedly. He really wished that the blue-haired girl was with them right now. Then he would have some leverage against the red-haired swordsman. At the very least, the Guardian of the Demon Sword would be forced to take him seriously, lest the fool risked having his lady friend suffer the consequences. "Why the hell _don't_ you want to fight me?"

"For one thing, I don't really like fighting for the sake of fighting, which is what you're trying to convince me to do right now. For another, I believe that you aren't really a bad person. You are actually quite harmless."

That was the single most insulting thing Genbu had heard his entire life; hell, even including his afterlife. "So you think I'm _that_ pathetic? Eh, samurai-or-whatever? I'LL SHOW YOU WHO'S PATHETIC!"

"Um, that's not what I meant," Kenshin meekly said as he tried, strangely enough, to explain to his opponent that he was actually complimenting him. However, his words soon died in his lips as Genbu melded into the solid ground, disappearing amidst the pock-marked tiles in an instant. "There's no reason for us to fight, Genbu-dono! If you would allow me to leave in one piece, then I would be eternally grateful!"

"Shut... the FUCK... UP!" Genbu screamed at the top of his lungs... metaphorically speaking, since it was debatable whether or not the Tortoise Saint Beast even had lungs... as he reappeared behind Kenshin, his balled-up fists literally like boulders that were ready to crush the erstwhile rurouni like a gnat.

Genbu slammed each of his rocky fists hard on either side of the swordsman, intending to end the fight then and there before it even started. A light crunch was heard, followed by silence. The Stone Shisejyu had won, which was the way things should happen. Except things didn't turn out that way.

"What the...?" Genbu elaborated as he looked down upon Kenshin. The guardian interposed his sheathed sword between Genbu's two gigantic fists, the sheathed weapon acting like a protective jam against the large, boulder-like appendages. The golem pushed hard against the Demon Sword, but to no avail.

"I really do apologize for whatever rudeness you've construed from my remark. But..." Kenshin pulled the Demon Sword free from Genbu's two fists, disappearing just in time before said fists crashed hard unto each other. He rematerialized a second later behind his opponent, his back turned as he slowly walked away.

"...I cannot possibly remain here. I still have to find both Botan-dono and Keiko-dono so that I could keep them safe from harm. I have no time to play with you. I hope you understand."

'S-Such speed! I must be dreaming. This guy's speed is incomparable to anyone I've ever met!' Genbu thought in awe. 'The red-haired plant user's speed was more on smoothness of movement. This red-haired swordsman, on the other hand, makes use of quick bursts of speed with reflexes that are beyond human! So he's been holding back his strength all this time?'

The Shisejyu gnashed his teeth hard. 'NO! I still have to finish off Urameshi. This cannot be! I won't let a pacifistic nobody like him make a fool out of me!'

"BAKURETSU-GANSHOU-DAN!"

Kenshin didn't even bother to turn as a large, rising tsunami of dirt and debris noisily approached him from behind. "I do not have time for this. I've seen that technique, and I already know several ways to counter it. This is my final warning," Kenshin declared... at first politely, and then with a hint of annoyance.

"SHUT UP! It's your kind that I hate; self-righteous, higher-than-thou shit like you deserve to die!" Genbu stated angrily as he melded into the ground once again, disappearing immediately.

Kenshin narrowed his eyes as he shook his head. 'This annoyance I feel; it isn't mine. It must be from Yusuke-dono. He's probably battling with the pasty-skinned one right now, and it's annoying him for some reason. I mustn't get carried away by Yusuke-dono's emotions.' A second later, he easily leapt away from Genbu's intended surprise grapple from behind, while also escaping the appropriately named Explosive Rock Assault.

Kenshin seemed to hang in the air for a moment as he contemplated the situation further. 'Despite Genbu-dono's apparent bravado, he is still a mostly inexperienced fighter. Most of the fights he had were probably with weaker demons and the like. Perhaps he had one or two fights with stronger opponents, but not enough to make him into a full-fledged warrior.'

An instant later, before Genbu could react in time, his own Bakuretsu-Ganshou-Dan crashed onto him hard, shattering his body into a hundred pieces. From there, Kenshin ingeniously used the volatile blast's strong air pressure to hurl himself away from harm.

Kenshin could only sigh at the pathetic situation Genbu was currently in as it confirmed all of his suspicions. 'He'll probably hate hearing this, but the truth of the matter is, he's just small fry.'

The spirit guardian looked at Genbu in pity. 'Though I have to admit, Genbu-dono _is_ trying his very best. He even challenged Yusuke-dono to a fight, despite the fact that he was obviously outmatched. He kind of reminds me of certain young boy that way. But still, I really am just wasting his time here. I must get going.'

"SAMURAI!" Genbu wailed maniacally, his shattered face staring straight at the red-haired, cross-scarred spirit's visage. "This isn't over yet!" he spat. "Now get a taste of the original BAKURETSU-GANSHOU-DAN!"

The shattered parts of Genbu's body began to attack Kenshin individually, much to the vagabond spirit's surprise.

'So this is the original version of his revised technique,' Kenshin thought with mild interest before going into his formless stance, seemingly just standing there in the middle of Genbu's onslaught. But as soon as his opponent's rocky parts started to bombard him, his image became a blur, easily weaving through the offensive with little trouble. 'This is getting wearisome, even for me. I must find a way to escape Genbu-dono's tedious attacks before he wastes any more of my time.'

The separated components of Genbu's person gradually recombined behind Kenshin. Once whole, the golem shouted, "Now, once again, here's the revised BAKURETSU-GANSHOU-DAN!"

Kenshin resisted the urge to roll his eyes as he reflexively readied himself. What technique would be most suitable to disable Genbu at this point: a mountain-splitting Ryu Tsui Sen or an earth-shattering Dou Ryu Sen? Oh well. He'd probably just 'play it by the ear' again, if ever.

But before Kenshin could react, his whole world suddenly spun into turmoil as a fleeting spear of agonizing ache tore through his shoulder, which left him open to attack.

The Bakuretsu-Ganshou-Dan crashed hard against the errant vagabond as he mouthed a silent scream of anguish. Every pore of his skin did the same soundless screech as his whole body burned with torture beyond comprehension. He valiantly fought against his blinding agony as one urgent thought kept on recurring at the back of his mind.

'Yusuke-dono; he's in trouble!'

* * *

"What a stupid technique. PTOOOIEE!" Yusuke spat as he cleaned the dirt from his mouth with his wrist. "Dammit, he even ruined my pants. Just wait till I get my hands on that walking pile of landfill." He eventually noticed that his surroundings were a bit darker than before. 'Hey. Where'd all the lights go?'

"I'm sorry, but Genbu's busy right now," a familiar voice stated with an undertone of contempt and malice. "Won't you play with me instead, Urameshi Yusuke? JIGEN TOU!"

Rando's Jigen Tou slashed through Yusuke's injured shoulder even though the demon was a good ten feet away from the spirit detective. That was the power of Kuwabara's ultimate attack; the special ability to cut through dimensions and spaces as well as flesh.

'Jigen... Tou?' Yusuke thought as he fell down in a boneless heap. 'How did...?' Yusuke then remembered that Kuwabara had supposedly fought Rando earlier, so the Jigen Tou was probably just another stolen technique care of the sadistic demon.

Then, as soon as Yusuke rested on the ground, a wave of pain beyond a mere migraine or even a seizure took hold of his trembling body. 'What the hell's going on? That slash couldn't have been _that_ powerful! This pain I'm feeling; it feels like a house fell down on me!'

Rando looked at the grunting and sweaty Yusuke with mirth in his eyes as he asked, "What's the matter, Urameshi? Couldn't take a itty-bitty cut from my sword technique? What a baby."

"Your sword technique? That's Kuwbara's technique, you bastard! Fuck that, I doubt that you've actually developed _any_ of the techniques you're using!" Yusuke's eyes widened in realization as he hatefully cursed, "Damn you, Rando! Kenshin's...!"

The red-haired youkai laughed with uncontainable delight. "I told you before, human. I know all your weaknesses. I saw what happened to you when I shot the samurai. Because of your spiritual bond with the sword, whatever happens to this 'Kenshin' happens to you as well. That's why I sent Genbu to roughen up your friend for a bit."

Yusuke growled as he attempted to stand up, but he was in too much pain to do much of anything else but lie in misery. Now it all made sense; the excessive pain he felt; the fact that he was inexplicably feeling pity for Rando; it was all Kenshin's fault. "You coward. You're using the wimp to get to me."

Rando grinned maliciously. "So what are you going to do about it, Urameshi? Whenever the samurai gets injured, you'll get injured too, and you can't do anything about it."

"You talk too much. Let me shut you up, asshole."

With no further contention or hesitation, Yusuke aimed an energy-filled finger at Rando.

"REI-GAN!"

* * *

As Kenshin flew backwards, Genbu suddenly materialized behind him. "I got you now, samurai!" the rock golem shouted as he cupped his gigantic hands, intending to catch then squash the flying 'samurai' of sorts.

Kenshin regained his senses just in time to acrobatically flip himself over and land on Genbu's palms feet-first. He afterwards leaped up before the Saint Beast realized what had just happened.

Kenshin narrowed his eyes. The situation had changed. It was time for some drastic measures.

Genbu looked up the sky and yelled, "DIE, SAMURAI!" as he balled up his fists with murderous intent.

"Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu..."

In midair, Kenshin quickly unsheathed his Demon Sword, a pale gleam on its blade. He subsequently spun in a complete arc before he altogether dove down on Genbu with a quickness and strength that was equivalent to a thunderous blast of lightning.

"RYU TSUI SEN!"

Kenshin's powerful technique cleanly cleaved the monstrous stone tortoise in half. Genbu let out a silent scream as the two halves of his body went down. However, his adversary wasn't quite done with him yet.

"DOU RYU SEN!"

Kenshin followed through his previous attack with a devastating, earth-shattering assault that completely destroyed the remnants of Genbu's body. After the redhead was through, all that remained of his Sacred Beast opponent was half of his face.

Genbu grit his teeth in pure misery as he struggled to look up at Kenshin. He wretchedly grinned. "So it would seem that I've pushed your back far enough against the wall to get a half-decent fight. I've even forced you to use some of your most powerful techniques!"

Kenshin shook his head at Genbu in pity. "I apologize, but those were not my most powerful techniques. Also, I only attacked you because I didn't want Yusuke-dono to get hurt on my account. Sorry, but I have to get going, Genbu-dono."

* * *

**To be Continued...**

_Next: The myriad of fights continues._

Hmmm. Okay, um, where do I start? ^^; Bad news first, I guess.

First of all, if you haven't noticed in the title art, my good friend Danyal has already decided to drop out of Demon Sword/Youtou Shinnoken for strictly professional reasons that I won't delve into.

Nonetheless, he will still remain as my consultant on certain arcs of the series; because really, parts of the story are and shall remain as his ideas now, right? Ultimately, this was for the best. Danyal, my friend, this fic is now officially dedicated to you as well as to Chad Yang.

Anything else? Well, all I can say is stay tuned!

_Ja!_  
**Abdiel**


	7. Chapter 6

**Youtou Shinnoken: Demon Sword**

A Yuyu Hakusho/Rurouni Kenshin fic  
by Chester Castañeda

Original concept by Chad Yang

I would just like to briefly note that you, the reader, are about to witness the results of the Shisejyu's intense training. Enjoy!

_Disclaimer: Yuyu Hakusho the anime, the manga and its many video game incarnations are the rightful property of Yoshihiro Togashi, Shueisha, Fuji TV, Namco, Sega/Treasure and St. Pierrot. Rurouni Kenshin is the rightful property of Nobuhiro Watsuki and Sony. Street Fighter 3 is the property of Capcom. Last Blade and Samurai Sbodown are the property of SNK Playmore. Don't sue me please. I'm very poor._

* * *

**Chapter 6: Heart of Sword (Part 6)**

* * *

A deafening explosion of luminosity and power burned across the whole length of the dojo, completely disintegrating columns and walls like they were made out of cheap cardboard and brittle clay.

"But of course. This is your most powerful technique: the Rei-Gan."

The comet-like inferno of scorched through Rando's vision as it streaked through the air. Debris from falling plaster and wood shards danced around in a vortex-like fashion, the tempestuous Rei-Gan sucking everything in a fiery spiral of death.

"But it's hardly the most powerful technique of all time." Rando then chanted, "Kyuuketsuki Kakutou Ryu: INNER BLOOD TURMOIL!" Immediately, a crimson energy field quickly surrounded him and, as the Rei-Gan made contact with him, the projectile instantly dissipated.

Yusuke palmed his face. "Shit, not that technique again."

"I have more where that came from. I've learned my lesson from our last battle. I will now show you all ninety-nine... no, a hundred and one of my tricks!" Rando boasted, correcting himself at the last minute as he remembered his recently acquisitioned Jigen Tou and the technique he adopted from Yusuke, the You-Gan.

Yusuke bared his teeth, seething openly at Rando, but no words escaped his mouth as he fumed in pain and anger.

"Before, I could only use one or two of my techniques at a time. But now, because of the power donated to my by the Chojin, I can finally make use of all my techniques!" Rando spectacularly avowed as he summoned his Jigen Tou, ready to face Yusuke in closed-quarter combat as well as a projectile war. "You seem uncharacteristically silent, Urameshi. You should be shooting your mouth off by this time. What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?"

At last, Yusuke spoke. "So you think you're all that? The special attack Yomi used in the Makai Tournament knocked the wind out of me. Your attack just ruined my clothes! Don't you get it? You're a pathetic loser! The only reason you're still alive is because I have a fucking shoulder wound and you don't! So stop bullshitting and give me everything that you've got already!"

Rando sputtered a bit before raising his Jigen Tou over his head and replying, "Damn you, Urameshi! I'll show you..."

Before long, the demon realized that he was talking to thin air.

Half of a second later, Yusuke took hold of Rando's Dimensional Sword, broke it in half, and stabbed the demon with the stolen weapon in one breath.

* * *

Genkai gripped her shoulder tightly in an effort to stop its profuse bleeding. Byakko really surprised her with his last attack. "That's quite a high-level technique you've got there. I didn't expect that you had it in you to do such a thing."

Byakko bared his teeth in response. "So you only consider me as a C-level demon, old hag?"

Genkai chuckled as she shook her head. "Not unless you could give me a decent fight with that iron arm of yours." She afterwards gave her opponent a 'come hither' gesture with her hand.

Byakko snorted as he executed his second attack, the Byakko Shu, and stampeded forward with a titanium-hard shoulder tackle. Genkai easily evaded the powerful charging technique with a quick and easy handspring. 'Charging forward like that with an attack that one can see a mile away? How disappointing. Perhaps this Shisejyu is really nothing more than a Class-C creature.'

Genkai was subsequently blindsided by Byakko's follow-up midair kick, the Byakko Shu Tsuika, and was unable to turn in time. The old woman flew a good few meters away from her opponent as parts of her garments were ripped and torn apart by the dirt-laden ground. Half a second later, she crashed into one of Seiryu's scattered ice blocks with tremendous force.

It took Genkai quite a bit before she regained her senses. She drew ragged breaths as she contemplated the situation. 'I didn't expect that maneuver at all. Even his kick hits like a hammer. I thought that his only advantage was that iron arm of his. I was wrong. He was able to use the momentum of his tackle to add leverage to that kick of his. He's no amateur. He's really proving himself to be a formidable foe.'

Above Genkai and Byakko, the Harbinger of Death star twinkled and shone right below the Big Dipper constellation, waiting ever so patiently to claim yet another victim.

'Is tonight a good night to die? Is this beast truly going to be my death?' Genkai pondered as she shook her head to clear it. 'I have seen the Harbinger of Death only twice in my life. The first time, I was able to escape its clutches, but the people of Nagasaki didn't. The second time, Toguro was able to finish me off. What will happen now? One thing is for sure, though; someone's going to die.'

"Stand up," Byakko grunted. "Don't let it end like this. Stand up and take your punishment in full."

"Amazing. Your iron arm technique is in another level altogether, but your own body is doing its best to compensate and keep up with such power. Where'd you learn such a technique?" Genkai inquired curiously.

Byakko growled as he began his assault anew, stabbing his Kaiwan outward. An overwhelming blast of pure energy soon erupted from his open palm. This was the explosive Retsu Hoko.

'His body is releasing large amounts of jaki,' Genkai surmised as she struggled to protect herself from the explosive waves of erratic power. 'I cannot counter this with the Rei-Kou-Kyou-Han-Shyo. Byakko will just absorb the energy and counterattack with a Mei-Ko-Shou-Kai-Ha.' The elderly martial artist's eyes brightened up as she smirked. 'Let's try a different tactic, then.'

Ignoring the shooting pain from her shoulder, Genkai hurtled herself with a shoulder tackle similar to the Shisejyu's Byakko Shu. The attack hit home with a sickening wet crunch.

'Foolish woman. She's attacking in a manner that adds more injury to herself,' Byakko reflected, snorting in disdain as he extricated his fingers from Genkai's bleeding and shattered shoulder, only to discover that the blood that was splattered on Genkai was his own. The Shisejyu yowled in agony as he tried desperately to mend his dislocated fingers.

"HIRYU KYAKU!"

Moments later, the Sacred Beast's gaping mouth was slammed shut care of a powerful Flying Dragon Kick on his chin. Several of his molars and fangs shattered upon impact.

"Even though your arm muscles are now as hard as steel, your joints and bones aren't. Keep that in mind in your next attack," Genkai taunted. "Did you enjoy that kick? My Supine Kick Kougeki isn't my only effective physical attack. I have more where that came from."

"Irritating," Byakko spat as he spewed out blood and bits of tooth on the ground. He again stabbed his bloody hand forward.

'Using a technique twice, even though I've already devised a countermeasure against it? Strange,' Genkai thought as she dashed forward with another shoulder tackle.

The aged martial artist's eyes went wide in shock.

'It's a different technique!' Genkai thought as she struggled to halt her momentum. 'No good. I can't stop!'

Byakko snatched and lifted Genkai in midair, his large and bloody fingers choking the Spirit Light Wave Master. Then, with a mighty roar, the Shisejyu slammed the old woman on the ground with full force. Thus was the power of the Zetsu Hoko.

Unfortunately for the holy beast, Genkai avoided bodily harm by landing feet-first just as she was hurled on the ground. She then extricated the feline monster's bleeding fingers from her neck, causing further injury to him.

Frustration. The old, imp-like human was beginning to grate on Byakko's nerves. Why wouldn't she die? Even with the gifts that the Chojin had given to him, he still couldn't defeat the old, decrepit bitch.

Anger. It wasn't fair. He was supposed to be far stronger than he was before. More powerful, even. Was he going to be beaten by a weak human again? Was he going to show his wretchedness and weakness once more?

Hatred. Hatred soon consumed the dark heart of Byakko; destructive, vicious hatred that threatened to overwhelm him, making him numb of all pain and of everything. His hatred was all that mattered. He quickly became a devastating, mindless behemoth that would go to great lengths just to sate the hate burning inside of him.

'This jaki I'm feeling; it's incredible!' Genkai reflected in near panic. 'This Byakko is producing ridiculous amounts of jaki! I was right about my assessment before. He's practically a negative energy magnet. But how? How could he produce so much evil energy by himself?'

Byakko grappled Genkai with both hands this time, the Sacred Beast's eyes feral and lacking of pupils. He didn't even bother to grunt or growl as he began executing one of the most powerful maneuvers of the Byakko's Claw: the diamond-smashing Kongo Sai.

Genkai was again heedlessly flung to the ground. This time, because she had no leverage, she crashed helplessly onto the earth, bits of debris and stone pelting all around her. The old woman coughed and choked amidst the settling dust.

Afterwards, before Genkai could react, she was yet again lifted and slammed on ground. This was Byakko's follow-up move, the first Kai. The elderly fighter felt several of her bones crack and snap against the pressure.

Byakko once more lifted up the half-unconscious Genkai as he stomped his foot on the ground, making it buckle and crack into a mass of spikes. A nasty, maniacal grin appeared on the Shisejyu's face briefly as he started to execute the final Kai.

* * *

Finally, the duo of Goro Fujita and Kazuma Kuwabara arrived at the foot of the seemingly serene mountain, the stairs leading to Genkai's temple well in sight.

"Well, it looks like we've finally made it, Officer Fujita," Kuwabara respectfully noted as he eyed his strange companion warily; as guardedly as one would watch a dangerous viper. "Shall we...?"

"Yes," Fujita answered as he took a drag from his cigarette.

Both occupants of the well-traveled black Honda Accord suddenly stopped and paused in mild surprise and shock as they both felt a dark and sinister presence emanate in their psyche.

Fujita smirked darkly as Kuwabara shivered reflexively. "Did you feel that?"

Kuwabara nodded slowly. "What the hell was that?"

Fujita chuckled ominously. "Jaki."

"N-Negative energy?" Kuwabara hesitantly reiterated. "Why would there be jaki here? Dammit, that's the same kind of power the Meikai bastards used!" The carrot-topped boy paused again as he looked at Fujita suspiciously. He sighed. "Ah, what the hell am I thinking? You certainly don't look like an agent of the Meikai." He reconsidered what he said as he scratched his chin contemplatively. "On the other hand..."

Fujita merely raised an eyebrow as he got out of the automobile. "Get rid of such silly thoughts. There's no need to concern ourselves with nonsense." Afterwards, he sinisterly grinned as he made his way to the car's trunk.

"Hey, what have you got back there?" Kuwabara curiously inquired as he followed Fujita, only to yelp, "WHOAH! What the hell are you doing with a katana! Where the hell is your gun, for Enma's sake?" moments later.

"I assure you, this isn't standard issue," Fujita creepily joked as he slipped the sheathed weapon into his belt. "But, as you know, when dealing with ghouls and bogeymen, a Human World gun is next to useless. The only weapon you could really rely on during such encounters is a good old-fashioned katana. It's especially efficient with decapitations."

"Heh. You're quite the joker, Officer Fujita."

"Who said that I was joking?"

"..."

Kuwabara gulped as he unconsciously gripped his throat. True, the young man had done his own share of 'decapitations', but the way Officer Fujita described it...

The younger Kuwabara shivered yet again. The lean-looking policeman was undoubtedly one of the most disturbing people he had ever met.

Fujita merely smirked, cigarette in hand as he motioned Kuwabara to follow him towards the long staircase. "C'mon. It's a long way up."

* * *

Genkai fought against the darkness that threatened to engulf her as Byakko lifted her high up in the air. 'This grappling technique of his; part of its deadliness comes from the fact that attacks can be chained with it!' She heard the ground buckle and break underneath Byakko's feet. The sound filled her with uncertainty and dread.

The former champion of the Ankoku Bujutsukai quickly focused all of her concentration on her blurry vision. She struggled to make out and decipher the protruding, hazy shapes she saw on the ground; soon, comprehension dawned on her.

With a mighty roar, Byakko threw the old woman onto the spiky ground as the saint demon carried out the final Kai.

Pure desperation was what forced Genkai to do the "REI-KOU-DAN!" just as she was about to get impaled by the rocky, stony spikes. The move instantaneously incinerated the barbed stones. The subsequent explosion was strong enough for Byakko to relinquish his hold on the aged martial artist.

Genkai painfully rolled away from Byakko as parts of her skin and a tuft of her hair went missing after her forceful extrication from the white tiger's grip. As she stood up, she realized something was amiss. 'Oh no.'

The Kiyodai Ka technique easily absorbed the reiki that surrounded Byakko. Pinpoints of electric energy entered Byakko's fanged maw in a manner reminiscent to how Yusuke charges up his Rei-Gan. The lively reiki was soon changed and distorted into potent youki that mixed with the intoxicating jaki inside the sacred beast's body. It was a chaotic cocktail of hatred and death.

"MEI-KO-SHOU-KAI-HA!" Byakko shouted as a raging blast the size of a house disintegrated the entire mountain landscape.

* * *

Seiryu felt it; the incredible amount of jaki that his beastly Shisejyu companion had released. 'It seems that Byakko's fight with the old woman has risen an ante or two.'

The dragon-like sacred beast scowled. 'Deluded fools. Byakko, most especially. He's just a passionate idiot who happened to have an affinity for negative energy. A wonderful gift wasted on such a simplistic buffoon. What a pity. Personally, I think this 'jaki' thing is overrated.'

He smirked as he stroked the black hair of his newest victim. 'On the other hand, jaki did manage to rescue us Shisejyu from the lowest depths of Hell. Also, the amount of strength that the Chojin gained from negative energy is astounding, to say the least. I want the same sort of strength, and I shall have it. After all, the only thing I need to acquire such force is to find a focal point for it; an avatar, if you will.'

Seiryu gazed deeply into Keiko Yukimura's bottomless, black eyes as he chuckled maliciously.

* * *

Byakko admired his handiwork with glee. Most of the mountain's peak had been leveled thanks to his last, incredible attack. 'That was one of the largest and most powerful Mei-Ko-Shou-Kai-Ha I had ever used.' The white tiger smirked. 'I even had to use a portion of my jaki to increase the destructive force of the blast. That old imp really gave me a hard time. I almost enjoyed that fight.'

The Shisejyu gave a mock salute at the place where Genkai had stood. "That was a good fight. You were a great warrior. Rest in peace, you old bitch."

"Who are you calling an old bitch?"

Byakko sneered as he swung his head wildly toward the origin of the voice, only to stare in dumbstruck awe at the apparition before him.

A young girl who didn't look to be any older than fourteen now stood amidst the dirt, dust, and debris. "I'm nobody's bitch," she daringly stated. Most of what she wore was ripped and torn, but her outfit was still unmistakably the same as Genkai's.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?" Byakko straightforwardly asked, eyeing his surroundings warily lest Genkai suddenly came back from the dead and snuck behind him while he was distracted by the girl. Was she one of the old crone's disciples? He wasn't quite sure. "Run away, child. This is no place for the likes of you."

Instead of doing what was she was told, the girl walked towards the imposing beast.

Byakko looked at the girl in mild confusion and annoyance. He thoughtlessly swatted the child, but to his surprise, she merely somersaulted away from the assault.

"Still don't recognize me? Perhaps this will refresh your memory," the girl said as she reversed her momentum and did a familiar move on the large youkai.

Just like a pig that suddenly found itself airborne, Byakko gawked in shock and disbelief as he flew up into the sky despite his enormous girth. The Supine Kick Kougeki was a force to be reckoned with indeed.

"You...!" Byakko raged once he finally landed from his unceremonious flight.

The young girl smirked. "You're not the only one with an energy absorption technique. You've released so much ki from your little technique that it literally rejuvenated me. It's rare that for me to use this revivification technique nowadays, but you've proven yourself to be quite the fighter worthy enough for it. Now, come at me with everything that you've got."

The White Tiger Shisejyu merely grunted as he charged at the younger and livelier Genkai.

* * *

"Hey... HEY! DON'T YOU DARE TURN YOUR BACK ON ME! Y-You... didn't even finish me off, you coward! Take me seriously, dammit! I AM NOT THE WEAKEST OF THE SHISEJYU!" Genbu shouted pathetically, his mask of bravado slipping as his voice cracked and choked. Unfortunately, his appeals fell on deaf ears.

Kenshin shut his eyes as he started to walk away from Genbu, feeling deep remorse over what had happened. 'I didn't mean to humiliate you so, Genbu-dono, but what needs to be done has to be done. This lowly one does hope that someday you'll find your own path to glory and greatness. But for now, this fight is over.'

Genbu gritted his teeth as an image of a whip-wielding, crimson-uniformed redhead superimposed itself against Kenshin's form.

"IGNORE ME, WILL YOU? Well, I will soon teach you to fear the name of GENBU! Ushiro-Bakuretsu-Ganshou-Dan: TETSUZAN KOU!"

Kenshin eyes went wide as he felt youki well up anew in his Shisejyu opponent's shattered body. 'That technique is the one that he used on Yusuke-dono earlier! At the time, it caused bits and pieces of the ground to reform into one gigantic mound. Could it be that...?' He turned towards his enemy's direction and confirmed his suspicions.

Almost immediately, the bits and pieces of Genbu's shattered body reformed and reconstituted themselves. After a moment, his body was whole again. Genbu gave the former hitokiri his characteristic sneer.

Kenshin drew the Youto Shinnoken from its sheath once more. "I already warned you. I don't have time to play with you, Genbu-dono. I still have to find and rescue Keiko-dono and Botan..."

"SHUT UP!" Genbu spat. Satisfied that _that_ worked, the tortoise-like saint demon continued, "I'm sick and tired of your over-politeness and unassuming behavior. It sickens me to the very pits of my soul. For being such a complete and total wimp, I'm going to punish you tenfold, samurai!"

Kenshin watched in fascination as Genbu's outer shell acquired a gray sheen to it. The swordsman narrowed his eyes; sure enough, he was able to make out glistening metallic particles that surrounded the large youkai, which coated its stony body with...

"...Iron!" Kenshin couldn't help but exclaim.

Genbu's broken teeth morphed into a sinister grin as he melded with the ground and charged at the erstwhile rurouni.

* * *

Byakko let out a prodigious howl as he performed the Byakko Sou, slashing quickly with his Kaiwan. Genkai, on her part, didn't even flinch as her enemy's iron arm descended upon her person. Then, with a half-angelic, half-devilish smirk, she announced:

"ABARE-HIRYU!"

Several repetitious clangs resounded from Byakko's Kaiwan as Genkai's flurry of blows kept his metallic arm at bay. Then, she aimed her fists at the ground, causing it to buckle and break under her offensive. A column of dust temporarily blinded the saint demon, which gave the young lady an opportunity to throw in a flying kick at his head. From there, she flipped over the youkai, landing several feet behind him.

Byakko snarled as he whirled around and stuck his hand forward, letting out a fearsome blast from his Retsu Hoko attack.

'Like before, it's too dangerous to use the Rei-Kou-Kyou-Han-Shyo against Byakko's blast of energy,' Genkai contemplated as the surge of power literally ripped apart the landscape. She grinned. 'I'm becoming too precautious in my old age. I should be more adventurous. If I die today, then I today. Whatever.'

"REI-KOU-KYOU-HAN-SHYO!" the teenaged Genkai shouted excitedly as the Spirit Light Mirror Counterstrike deflected the incredible amount of youki emanating from Byakko's Retsu Hoko.

The White Tiger Sacred Beast's Kiyodai Ka maneuver automatically absorbed the repelled demonic energy. Soon, Byakko's mouth was again brimming with fiery vigor.

Before the large, feline youkai could even utter a word or open his mouth, the young Genkai was already upon him, her own finger overflowing with reiki. She then aimed it at his mouth and smiled. "Want more? Here. Open wide. REI-GAN!"

The resulting explosion almost blasted the Shisejyu's head off.

"GRRRRAAAAAAAAGGGHHH!"

Almost.

Byakko screamed in agony as he deftly grabbed the cosmetically young martial artist's injured shoulder, nearly crushing it with his tight grip. His face, particularly his mouth, had several second-to-third-degree burns that bled profusely. While the pain worsened as he came to, his clutch on his opponent tightened.

Genkai bit her lip amidst the pain, but her carefree smile was instantly recognizable.

"What are you smiling about?" Byakko snarled as he wiped the blood on his charred face with his free hand.

"Nothing," Genkai teased before laughingly sharing, "It's because of that last attack I did. I must have been out of mind! I could have lost a finger or my whole arm with that attack. Only the likes of Yusuke could have the guts... and the stupidity... to do that." The rejuvenated woman chuckled. "It was a refreshing change of pace for someone as old as I am."

"You don't say," Byakko snorted in disdain. "That's right, little girl. You're too old. It's time for you to go."

Genkai smirked. "Is that so? The fight isn't quite over yet. I can still beat you."

"No. It's over, all right," a different, more sinister voice declared.

Both combatants felt it; the cold. The numbing, unfeeling, and unforgiving cold.

* * *

"Hey, Officer Fujita! You're going the wrong way! Genkai-baasan's shrine is this way!" Kuwabara shouted to his unlikely companion as he pointed at the seemingly never-ending stairs. 'How can he possibly get lost with a setup as simple as this? All you have to do is follow the fucking stairs up, right? He must be suffering from menopause or something.' "Hey, OFFICER FUJITA!"

"I heard you the first time, aho," Fujita patently stated as he made his way through the dense thickets of the forest on the left side of the stairs.

"A-ho?" Kuwabara repeated, not sure if he should be insulted or not. That was the first time anybody has called him... that... and he wasn't quite sure how to react. "Hey, I thought you wanted to find directions on how get to granny's house! WAIT UP, OFFICER!"

* * *

Seiryu stood in the middle of the devastation that resulted from Genkai and Byakko's fierce battle. "This fight has been drawn out long enough. You and your numerous parlor tricks are just child's play if you cannot use them to finish off each other instantly. All of your techniques are next to worthless. All it really takes is just one effective and all-powerful attack to rule them all. Let me demonstrate."

Byakko grunted at Seiryu as he held the teenaged Genkai in front of him. "This is my prey. Leave me be with _my_ prey. Let me feed, Seiryu."

The self-declared 'second most powerful' of the Shisejyu smirked as he shook his head in derision, ignoring his supposed ally's demands.

A violent and bitter wind began to gather around the reptilian Shisejyu. The temperature of the area immediately dropped as a strange, dark energy began to surround the Blue Dragon Holy Beast's clawed hand.

"Behold. The perfect technique that surpassed and succeeded my Ma-Tou-Tou-Ryu-Ken. Kyomei Jisatsu Jin... Fu no Senrei." Seiryu's face became a stony, unmoving mask as he performed his evolved attack.

'Legend of Hades Onslaught...?' Genkai started as she repeated in her head the elaborate name of Seiryu's technique.

'The Trial of Negation!' Byakku thought, for the first time showing traces of dread in his features.

It started as a torrent. Gray clouds appeared from out of the blue and unleashed a surge of ice and water, draping the area with sludge that was several feet deep. The flood ceased as rapidly as it had begun; the deceptive tranquility before bedlam.

Then it came. Roused from innumerable millennia of slumber, ascending from freezing liquid that was simultaneously finite and infinite, a snake-like being formed and floated in midair, an implacable luminosity shimmering off each shiny scale. It shrieked a horrible cry reminiscent of the hair-raising screams of the innocent.

However, it proved to be more than just a reptilian sea serpent. As the icy waters took a more elaborate shape and form, what it really was soon became readily apparent.

It was the true form of the blue dragon: Seiryu, the God of Dragons. It was more or less a hundred feet in body length, and was seemingly composed of transparent azure water. Its gleaming scarlet eyes sparkled in anger.

With an earsplitting scream, the draconic creature ascended into the nimbus sky until it was floating high above the awestruck Byakko and Genkai.

'The Trial of Negation isn't a youki attack! It's used to summon an ancient spirit reminiscent to Hiei's Kokuryuha!' Genkai assessed as she struggled to free herself from Byakko's grip.

The serpentine dragon started to circle in a tight spiral, its velocity rising as a flat mass of darkness began to take shape within its flight path. The God of Dragons quickly swooped into the middle of its encirclement, thundering down onto the luckless duo like an unstoppable avalanche of ice and snow drawn from the very depths of the Demon World, in the Land of the Koorime.

The gigantic dragon unerringly homed in on Genkai's ki-signature as it headed right towards her direction. The mountain's hard precipice crumbled like brittle chalk as the charging reptilian passed through. It crashed unto its intended target moments later...

"GUAAAAA!"

Taking Byakko's Kaiwan with it.

Byakko roared in agony as his hardened, iron-like arm literally exploded from the snake-like Seiryu's assault, sending bits and pieces of frozen guts, bones, muscles, and fat across the landscape.

Genkai, on the other hand, didn't fare any better as she struggled against what seemed to be a veritable force of nature. She was thrown around helplessly by the fierce, icy winds, tumbling inside the spiral the monstrous snake had made.

The errant martial artist plummeted powerlessly into the abyss of the gigantic dragon's serpentine hurricane as she awaited oblivion. But she didn't want to wait for her oblivion, the Harbinger of Death be damned.

Using the last remaining vestiges of strength she had after the arduous experience the godly manifestation of Seiryu put her through, Genkai halted her momentous drop by means of a well-aimed...

"REI-KOU-DAN!"

Her trajectory changed instantly, sending her flying in the sky again. Then, with some gymnastics-level somersaults, she landed safely on the ground moments later. Unfortunately, she eventually collapsed in fatigue after her legs buckled in exhaustion. Her youthful appearance soon faded to that of her true age.

"Performing the highest form of Rei-Kou-Hadou-Ken can sometimes rejuvenate its user's body back to the time when he or she was most active. In your teenage body, you're more agile and nimble. Impressive, but its effects are only temporary," the Shisejyu Seiryu surmised while the God of Dragons Seiryu hovered behind him. "Even the highest form of Rei-Kou-Hadou-Ken is no match against my Fu no Senrei."

"For someone who has to rely on the power of the Blue Dragon God to do his dirty work, you're quite arrogant," Genkai rejoined as she struggled to get up on her feet. "You probably came up with the great idea of summoning the true Seiryu after watching Hiei perform the Kokuryuha back in the Human World while you were burning in the pits of hell."

Seiryu smirked as he answered, "Don't you dare compare my Fu no Senrei with that fire demon's pathetic technique. The true mettle of the Trial of Negation will be tested once it completely overwhelms the dark flames of the Black Dragon Wave."

"Humph. So it _was_ based on the Kokuryuha." Genkai disdainfully snorted. 'But where did Seiryu get all this jaki I'm feeling? It certainly isn't emanating from him. His lust for revenge is strong, but not strong enough to summon the Lord of the Dragons himself. How...?'

There was a maniacal scream in the background; the desperate howl of a wounded animal.

"SEIRYU! How dare you take my prey away from me! I'LL KILL YOU!" Byakko yowled hysterically as he stampeded towards his original Shisejyu murderer.

* * *

Three figures remained hidden in a nearby cliff overlooking the devastated backdrop that was Byakko, Seiryu and Genkai's battleground.

"We're in over our heads, big brother!" Iehog said in demonic fright and panic as he looked dumbfounded at the humongous creature that hung over Seiryu.

"Nonsense! We have just what we need here! We just have to... confirm something!" Iehik hissed from behind Iehog, not wanting to even _look_ at the gigantic... something, lest his courage failed him right then and there.

"Shut up and move over! I'm trying to see what's going on!" Botan demanded as she primly pushed the two youkai brothers aside with her wooden oar. 'Something's not right there. Call it a gut feeling, but it's as if something bad has happened,' the ferry girl thought in an uncharacteristically contemplative manner. 'And I'm not talking about that stupid, copycat Kokuryuha.'

"Confirm something? But big brother, what are we going to confirm? The old lady's death or our own death once either Byakko-sama or Seiryu-sama spots us?" Iehog whined pathetically.

"Well, if you stop whining, then we won't be spotted!" Iehik admonished. To himself, he reflected, 'Actually, I have heard that running away is the better part of valor or some such Human World nonsense. But still, here we remain. It's as if something has beckoned us to this spot, that something being...'

"Well, I still want to know what the hell are we going to 'confirm', big..."

"Our destiny."

"Whuwhuzzat?" Iehog asked in puzzlement and confusion. His big brother was acting very weird again.

"Nothing. Now be still or I'll brainwash you into thinking that you're a little girl again!" Iehik hastily yet nonchalantly threatened.

"WA-AH! No more! The last time you did that, the demon horde we were with at the time laughed at me behind my back for a whole week! I was the butt of all their jokes! Though, in retrospect, it's a good thing most of them are all dead now."

"I SAID QUIET, IEHOG!"

"B-But you're the one who's screaming loudly, big brother!"

"Oh no."

Both brothers looked at Botan in askance as she stared in fear and dread, shaking her head while muttering, "No," over and over like it was some sort of mantra.

"W-What's wrong, woman?" Iehik queried the blue-haired girl uncertainly, not sure what to make of the situation.

Subsequently, Botan screamed her head off... or she would have had the brothers not covered her mouth with their clawed hands.

* * *

"SEIRYU! How dare you take my prey away from me! I'LL KILL YOU!"

Seiryu chuckled as he beckoned his namesake dragon familiar with a wave of his hand. "You? Kill me? You don't know your own limits. Fu no Senrei."

Using the immense anger incased inside of him, Byakko countered Seiryu's Fu no Senrei with his own, "MEI-KO-SHOU-KAI-HA!"

The God of Dragons soon descended from its perch high up the nimbus clouds, but not upon Byakko, to the White Tiger Saint Beast's surprise. Instead, it swooped into its "master's" body and possessed the Blue Dragon Shisejyu just before the raging Mei-Ko-Shou-Kai-Ha hit its intended target.

Seiryu's image soon changed as his features became more reptilian than human. His teeth sharpened into fangs and his hands morphed into claws. The new, more powerful Seiryu swatted away Byakko's attack like it was a mere paper weight. The ki-blast exploded elsewhere moments later.

'It's just like Hiei's possession technique using the Kokuryuha!' Genkai assessed as she saw Seiryu's transformation. 'It would seem that Seiryu really did his research on the Jaou-En-Satsu.'

But Byakko was not yet finished with Seiryu just yet. He charged with a hearty shoulder tackle, even though it was now without the assistance of the Kaiwan.

"What a waste."

Seiryu literally punched a hole through his fellow Sacred Beast's stomach with absolutely no hesitation. "The only reason you have that much jaki in your system is because of your overflowing rage and humiliation for having been defeated by a mere human. You're nothing but a whipped dog."

Byakko could only groan as he fell down face-first, clawing the ground in agony.

"For someone who has a mediocre amount of jaki in his system, you seem quite confident," Genkai retorted. "You're too emotionless and detached to produce and harness jaki on your own. A bit jealous of your comrade?"

"Close, but no cigar, old woman," Seiryu assented in a decisively non-acquiescent manner. "But my methods of jaki-extraction more than makes up for that triviality. What Byakko could get through humiliation and self-condemnation _I_ could get through..."

The Blue Dragon Saint Demon raised a clawed hand over his cohort's fallen form, extricating the jaki the white tiger exuded.

"...The suffering of others," Genkai finished for Seiryu as she glared at her newest opponent. "You're a sadistic coward who doesn't want to get hurt himself. Victimizing others to suit your own purposes and to make up for your own inadequacies; you're the pathetic one, not Byakko."

Seiryu shrugged. "I couldn't care less about that, really. If you have problems with my methods of extraction, then come and attack me. But I can see that you haven't, have you? Perhaps the word 'coward' applies more to you than it does to me."

Genkai's face remained impassive, but neither did she rise to Seiryu's challenge.

"Just as I've suspected." Seiryu chuckled. He scowled. "This will not do." He kicked away Byakko's fallen form, frowning. 'The suffering of a warrior... even a pathetic one like Byakko... produces only negligible amounts of jaki. Only the pure torment of an innocent can truly quench my thirst for power.'

Genkai felt it; the negative feeling and emotions that flowed within the emotionless Seiryu. 'That evil aura inside of Seiryu; he's siphoning it from somewhere, or someone, nearby. There! Behind the mist and shadows that surround him!' "REI-GAN!"

Seiryu looked on in mild irritation as the Rei-Kou-Hadou-Ken master's spirit ball dissipated the white blanket that hid his secret weapon. "Oh well. It's not that you could do anything for her now."

Genkai plopped down on her legs as she shook her head in disbelief. "You bastard."

Keiko's inky-black eyes stared at Genkai impassively, her snowy complexion a stark contrast to the darkness of her surroundings.

"Come and meet my avatar."

* * *

"Are you out of your mind, woman? They'll hear us!" Iehik shrieked as softly as he could as his clawed hand remained firmly clamped on Botan's mouth. "Once they find out where we are, they'll send us straight to where they've been the last few years or so: HELL!"

"I told you that woman was trouble, big brother!" Iehog nagged.

Both brothers went silent once they heard sobbing and sniffling sounds from Botan. "M-Miss...? Are you all right?" Iehik awkwardly asked in bewilderment.

Through the muffled sobs, all the two youkai could make out from Botan's blubbering was the name, "Keiko-chan".

* * *

"The suffering of the weak and the innocent; their cries give me power. Their tears give me strength. Their screams give me the precious jaki I need to become invincible." Seiryu went behind Keiko and held the young girl's shoulders as if to flaunt his newfound source of power. "Would you believe that this little girl enabled me to execute my powerful Fu no Senrei? Pretty impressive, I say. All that jaki was produced from such a weak little human's torment! Can you imagine?"

Keiko could only look on with the blank stare of a lifeless mannequin.

Genkai gave her Blue Dragon opponent a sickened look. She was at a loss for words.

Seiryu continued, "Don't worry yourself so much. Even though on the inside she's going through intense turmoil and pain, at least on the outside, she's as calm and collected as I am."

"Be silent."

"I'm only telling it as it is."

"You're making her scream on the inside. Her screams are silent, BUT SHE'S STILL SUFFERING THROUGH HER SILENT SCREAMS!" Genkai's visage, for a split-second, returned to that of her of younger self as she finally lost her temper.

"Humph. Anger. How quaint. You're more like Byakko that way," Seiryu noted in mild distaste. "I thought you would be much more civilized concerning this jaki business, old woman. Nonetheless, it's entertaining to see your emotions go awry once in the while. But I don't want your anger; I want your pain."

Genkai didn't even seem to bother listening to Seiryu's latest rant as she fell into the basic Rei-Kou-Hadou-Ken stance.

As tension filled the air, a subtle yet strange silence settled over the entire area.

* * *

"Oh shit! Not again!" By this time, Kuwbara was beginning to hate those unsettling moments of quiet because shocking and unnatural things usually ended up happening afterwards. There was no telling what would happen this time around. 'Dammit. I must be feeling that 'jaki' shit again.'

A cold, biting wind started to blow and what little light was there began to fade. 'Wait. This isn't the same. I'm feeling a different kind of power. It's still dreadful and cruel, but not 'negative' or 'evil'. I wonder what it is?'

"Officer Fujita! Have you also been feeling the weird vibes I've been getting lately? HEY! OFFICER! Where the hell are you?" The youth approached the exit of the forest. "Finally, I'm out of that stupid... WHAT THE...?"

Kuwabara's eyes then went as wide as saucers at what he saw next.

* * *

Seiryu, Keiko and Genkai froze and stared at the ether as they all felt a disconcerting, nearly extraterrestrial presence manifest itself all around them. The hidden Botan, Iehik, and Iehog sensed it as well. Even the semi-conscious Byakko took a glimpse of what was going on over his shoulder.

At first the two groups could perceive nothing except flashes of web-like lightning that crackled at the distance before everything was blanketed in total darkness. From there, two golden globes of flame shone in the mantle of unnatural black.

They then saw it: a dense cloud of hazy blue vapor that progressively crawled down the ground towards them. As the fog came near and nearer, something started to stir inside of it. To be more specific, it was a slender, four-footed figure of _something_ lurking forward on clawed paws.

The smaller puffs of smoke started to merge together, coalescing into a solitary shape that threatened to dwarf even Seiryu's God of Dragons. Those golden lights from before burned right into the consciousnesses of everyone present, staring at them like cruel, merciless...

'Eyes?' Genkai considered in quiet confusion.

Botan stifled a gasp as the azure haze undulated and warped, pulling itself together and then tearing itself apart over and over again until it formed into fine, long wisps of threadlike streamers that evoked images of wavy feathers... or fur. Her youkai companions, for lack of a better descriptive phrase, were scared shitless.

Seiryu watched the shadowy mass so rapidly approaching in mild interest. Nevertheless, he still readied another Fu no Senrei attack, just in case.

At last, it emerged; the murky yet distinctive silhouette of a massive wolf, its golden eyes glowing in the congregating shadows. Out of the black fog, right under the immense creature's rictus jaws, stepped forth Goro Fujita, his lips twisting with the exact same untamed grin as his shining eyes gleamed with menacing anticipation.

* * *

Kuwabara shuddered reflexively at the current turn of events.

'Hell, I'm imagining things. I must be going out of my mind!' His eyes narrowed as the second and third biggest shock of the day stood just a good few yards away from him.

"Seiryu? Byakko? WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?" Kazuma Kuwabara demanded, shocked beyond words. He then saw Keiko Yukimura's current state. His face darkened as rage filled his veins. "You bastard. What have you done to her?"

"Oh, it's you," Seiryu noted in slight disgust, as if he had just spotted a large bug. "The human who defeated Byakko."

"Fuck that. What I did to Byakko is nothing compared to what I'm going to do to you!" Kuwabara yelled as he attempted to move into striking distance.

"Stay put from where you are, boy. Don't be a fool. You don't have any spiritual power left," Goro Fujita straightforwardly admonished as the feral materialization from behind him growled.

Kuwabara gave Fujita a lurid look, thinking, 'Seiryu didn't know that! Why'd you have to tell him?' Nonetheless, he still advanced towards Seiryu, not at all minding the fact that he had a less-than-zero chance for survival. "Let Keiko go now, Sei..."

The carrot-topped boy was shocked into silence upon seeing Genkai aim a Rei-Gan at his direction. "What the hell are you aiming that at me for, you old crone?"

"I want Keiko to be safe too, but not at the cost of a needless loss," Genkai reproved. "Stand down right this instant, Kuwabara."

"Do as she says if you still want to live," Fujita 'helpfully' interjected.

"Saito Hajime, the captain of the third unit of the Shinsengumi. You were able to slip through the jaws of death at Ikedaya, Boshin, and Seinan. Apparently, you even slipped through the Reikai's grasp as well. The only one of the Shinsengumi they called immortal," Seiryu stated in a nonchalant manner as he eyed the lean-looking policeman. "But of course you'd be here. Welcome back to the world of the living. Enjoy your stay while it lasts."

"Such big talk from small fry," Fujita declared as the lycanthropic manifestation from behind him dissipated into the dark skies. "You speak to me with such familiarity, yet you do not know a thing about me. Who the hell do you think you are?"

"I should ask you the same thing, Fujita!" Kuwabara screamed from atop his perch overlooking the devastated battlegrounds below. "What's this 'Saito Hajime' nonsense I hear? What are you talking about, Seiryu?"

'Saito Hajime. Shinsengumi,' Genkai thought as she listened intently to the dialogue between Seiryu and the newcomer. 'That name sounds familiar.' The elderly martial artist remembered what Kenshin Himura... _the_ Hitokiri Battousai... said a while back inside her dojo. 'He's _that_ Saito Hajime; the enemy of the Ishin Shishi patriot, Battousai! Himura-san's foremost rival when he was still alive! What happened to him?'

"Hey! ANSWER ME!" Kuwabara screeched some more.

"Quiet, aho," Fujita reprimanded, pointedly ignoring the teenager afterwards. "So Seiryu is your name. Coincidentally, I've already fought with a namesake of yours. I do hope you prove to be more of a challenge to me than he did."

"Such arrogance, even coming from a Miburo like yourself," Seiryu assessed, referring to his opponent to the title of 'Wolf of Mibu'. "But the very idea of a ghost of a human trying to compare himself to a Sacred Beast? You really are a fool." Seiryu beckoned the Fu no Senrei again, which stirred the all-powerful God of Dragons to circle around them. "It doesn't matter if you were the captain of a Human World extermination squad. You're in my turf now, Saito Hajime."

"Again with that name. I'm tired of hearing that," Fujita stated as he drew and raised his sword perpendicular to his shoulders. "It's as if by knowing that name, you think you instantly know everything about me. You're the fool."

'That stance! Could this be...?' Seiryu contemplated as he analyzed Fujita's battle posture. He let out an annoyed grunt upon realizing that it wasn't the Gatotsu the Chojin had described to him. He remarked, "Are you mocking me? I want to see the Gatotsu I've heard so much about."

"The Gatotsu? I don't need it right now. This is the Hiratsuki. Prepare yourself," Fujita declared as he slowly began to charge.

"Such foolishness will cost you your life. Fu no Senrei," Seiryu said as he counterattacked, unleashing the Lord of Dragons upon his next victim.

'H-He's going to fight!' Kuwabara thought incredulously. 'Just like that! And then there was that crazy wolf thing from behind him... and... and... GA-AH! Who the fuck is that crazy policeman?'

"So he's going to hold back?" Genkai considered as she moved away from the two opponents. "Could it be arrogance or a misjudgment of Seiryu's abilities on his part, or is he _really_ sure that he can defeat Seiryu's Fu no Senrei with a subpar tactic?"

"He's the only other person the Chojin specifically warned us about, besides the Battousai within the Demon Sword," Byakko muttered from his crouching position as he covered with his remaining arm the bleeding hole Seiryu gave him. Through his raspy panting and sickly coughing, he managed to add, "The Chojin mentioned that Saito Hajime is one fighter you can count on to _never_ hold back."

The large, serpentine dragon flew across the landscape so quickly that it looked like an azure river of raging rapids. It bared its fangs as it faced the charging Fujita.

"They're both doing a head-on attack!" Kuwabara remarked as he prepared himself for the subsequent impact.

'Foolish indeed. His puny sword will break against the Fu no Senrei's scales, just as his half-hearted charge will break against the Fu no Senrei's claws,' Seiryu noted smugly.

Just as the dragon was about to bite Fujita in half, the policeman let out a flurry of stabs at the Fu no Senrei beast's gigantic maw, shattering bits and pieces of its double row of sharp teeth. The Lord of Dragons shrieked in agony, but it still continued its attack undeterred. Then, in a blink of an eye, it swerved over Fujita's blind side just as the officer missed a quick stab. It now had an opportunity to attack from the rear, where its prey was defenseless.

The law enforcement officer could only chuckle in mild amusement as he flipped his blade and slashed sideways right through the dragon's neck as its long, gargantuan body twisted around him. It painfully recoiled from Fujita's strike.

"An avoided thrust can become an attack from the side in an instant. The Hiratsuki, as devised by the tactics genius Hijikata Toshizo, the second-in-command of the Shinsengumi, has no weak points. And my Gatotsu is even more so."

"A dragon," Kuwabara managed to whisper as he plopped down to the ground. "He was able to face a dragon."

"Humph," was the only reply that came out of the Shisejyu Seiryu's mouth. "Showing off, aren't we?"

Fujita smirked. "Not at all."

The Sacred Beast Blue Dragon snorted, summoning his injured familiar into combat once again. "That was a mere scratch. Don't celebrate each and every minor victory."

"A mere scratch? You mean like that graze you have on your neck right now? Oh, and wipe your mouth. Blood is trickling down your chin," Fujita retorted.

A look of slight annoyance allayed Seiryu's previously self-assured expression.

Fujita chuckled at Seiryu's reaction. "No wonder you named your little pet after you. That overgrown lizard _is_ you; or rather, a direct manifestation of your soul. Once it gets hurt, so will you. It's a pity, then. After I kill it, you will die as well."

"Action speaks louder than mere words, Miburo. The Chojin didn't describe you to be this talkative. I only have three words for you: Fu no Senrei," Seiryu declared as his namesake beast attacked Fujita again.

"And these are my three words in response: Aku Soku Zan. You will die, and so will the Chojin. It's inevitable," Fujita avowed as he fell into Hiratsuki stance and hurtled towards his quarry.

"'Kill Evil Instantly?'" Kuwabara repeated, incredulous. "What is this, n old samurai drama? That guy's a complete loon!" He silently appended to himself, "A motherfucking badass bastard, but still a loon."

The dragon soon moved into a spiral; a movement reminiscent of its attack on Genkai a while ago. Fierce, biting-cold winds accompanied the assault, threatening to loosen Fujita's footing.

"It's still a head-on attack, but what's with the spiral?" Kuwabara commented as he struggled to get a better view of the lavish spectacle of death. From there, he grit his teeth as he felt coldness beyond mere cold. It was as if death itself had embraced him. Through his chattering teeth, he was able to stutter, "W-What is this?"

In no time at all, the dragon... Seiryu... and the wolf... Fujita... were again upon each other. Fujita was able to fight through the storm-like winds to gain sufficient momentum to execute his attack with only the slightest delay.

However, this slight delay was all the God of Dragons needed. With unbelievable velocity that contradicted its mass, the dragon avoided Fujita's unhesitant thrust.

* * *

**To be Continued...**

_Next: Aku Soku Zan._

Wow. I'm really enjoying the collection of fights these last two chapters had. Why? Well, for one thing, I've been gleefully referencing a lot of techniques from various sources. Just check out the disclaimer to see where they came from.

_Ja!_  
**Abdiel**


	8. Chapter 7

**Youtou Shinnoken: Demon Sword**

A Yuyu Hakusho/Rurouni Kenshin fic  
by Chester Castañeda

Original concept by Chad Yang

The true meaning of 'Aku Soku Zan' will finally be revealed. It's more than a just mere philosophy.

_Disclaimer: Yuyu Hakusho the anime, the manga and its many video game incarnations are the rightful property of Yoshihiro Togashi, Shueisha, Fuji TV, Namco, Sega/Treasure and St. Pierrot. Rurouni Kenshin is the rightful property of Nobuhiro Watsuki and Blade and Samurai Shodown are the property of SNK Playmore. Don't sue me please. I'm very poor._

* * *

**Chapter 7: Over the Horizon (Part 1)**

* * *

With a burst of speed that belied its mass, the dragon avoided Fujita's thrust. Its claws dug deep into the ground, causing clouds of dust to form.

'Quick, but it seems he has forgotten the side attack,' Fujita assessed as he flipped his blade and slashed sideways. To his chagrin, because of the fierce stream of air that now shielded the serpentine creature, his offensive merely scratched the dragon's tough hide.

The Shisejyu Seiryu smirked. "After executing the thrust _and_ the side attack, you're now wide open, Saito Hajime."

The dragon Seiryu overturned an entire plot of land, unceremoniously flinging it, along with a slightly irritated Goro Fujita, into the air. The patch of earth consequently crumbled against the dragon's coiling body.

With his feet off the ground, the police officer could do nothing but helplessly float in the tornado-like vacuum the dragon had created with its spiraling movements.

"Aku Soku Zan indeed! All you have are words. I now have the upper hand in this fight." Seiryu smirked smugly. "Watch your body get ripped apart by the might of my Fu no Senrei."

'Dammit, Fujita's in trouble!' Kuwabara reflected as he shivered in frosty agony. 'Without the ground to stabilize his footing, he can't do any of his fancy strikes!'

Seiryu the God of Dragons soon reared its ugly head at the center of the spiral. Afterwards, it headed towards the airborne policeman, its sharp claws ready to tear into shreds anything that passes through them.

"Really now? How presumptuous of you." With that said, Fujita readied his sword into Hiratsuki stance again.

"Fool. You have no leverage for attack. Die," Seiryu stated.

As the dragon coiled around Fujita, the policeman nimbly stabbed at the gigantic monster's back. The embedded sword soon allowed him to set foot on the creature's snake-like body.

He now had all the leverage he needed.

In annoyance, the God of Dragons twisted over its back and charged at the upstart Miburo with the intention of impaling him with one of its claws.

Fujita smirked. "Here's where my attack begins." His Hiratsuki stance swiftly changed into a different stance: with his right leg forward, sword held in the left hand parallel to the body, right hand held in front along the blade.

Seiryu winced. 'Could it be...?'

"GATOTSU ISHIKI!" the Wolf of Mibu roared mightily as he charged and gauged out the dragon's left eye.

"GRAAAAAGGHHH!" the Shisejyu Seiryu howled as his own left eye streamed with tears of blue blood. His alternate self mimicked his panicked cry perfectly.

Fujita shifted to his Hiratsuki stance again as he sadistically added more injury to injury by letting out a flurry of stabs at the dragon's already wounded eye.

An inaudible mental click resounded in Genkai's psyche. 'This Saito person is fighting the Fu no Senrei with the Hiratsuki not because he's holding back. The Gatotsu is an offshoot of the Hiratsuki, such that he could combine his Gatotsu attacks with the Hiratsuki with no trouble at all.'

The dragon's panicked shrieks of suffering echoed across the valley. It violently shook its head in an attempt to get rid of the psychotic policeman.

'In real combat, it's extremely rare to meet the same enemy twice. When it does happen, if there is one technique that can bring him down, all others become useless. To polish one's own specialized techniques until they become certain death; this is his true strength,' Genkai assessed.

"What's the matter? Can't fight anymore?" Fujita taunted as he extricated his sword from the dragon's eye and slid off from the dragon's body. He landed nimbly on the ground while quickly avoiding the Fu no Senrei beast's whipping tail. "Come on. I have only used the most basic of the Gatotsu's maneuvers. Giving up already?"

Seiryu's face morphed into that of a hateful demon ogre, his fangs grit and gnashing in pure, unadulterated anger. Keiko soon became paler than before as he again siphoned energy from her pain and suffering. Genkai and Kuwabara immediately charged towards Seiryu, but judging from their awkward positions, it seemed that only Fujita was within striking distance.

Through a hiss that did not bother to hide the fact that he was enraged, the Shisejyu declared, "Fu no Senrei."

"Again? Don't you know any other attacks?" Fujita snidely remarked. Afterwards, he readied himself. This time he didn't bothering going into Hiratsuki stance, preferring to shift to his Gatotsu stance immediately. It was as if he instinctively felt his previous tricks would not assist him this time.

'This air of tension I feel...' Genkai began, not able to finish her sentence in time as the fight abruptly started before she even realized it.

The titanic Dragon of the Trial of Negation blasted through the air with speeds that defied the laws of physics. Rising above the edicts of the physical world, it charged inexorably at Fujita like a blue streak of greased lightning.

"Fujita..." Kuwabara whispered in uncertainty.

Fujita's eyes widened for a split second as a flash of superimposed afterimages burned into his eyes like a colorful, flowery explosion of light.

"GATOTSU NISHIKI!" Fujita roared as he struck forward with the second form of his Gatotsu a split second later, its wider range of attack enabling him to deflect the dragon's powerful charge. His blade crashed hard against the dragon's underbelly as he diverted its path away from his person. The dragon rose up into the stormy skies.

Suddenly, a vortex of air appeared and arrested all of Fujita's movements. The irresistible maelstrom pulled him towards the dragon's waiting claws. Sure enough, the creature of the Fu no Senrei promptly made a u-turn towards its hapless prey.

'This is...' Fujita started as he struggled against what seemed to be an intense hurricane. 'This is... The Dragon that Soars the Heavens. In other words, Seiryu's Amakakeru Ryu no Hirameki. It has everything; the quick, unstoppable charge of the first strike, then the air void of the second strike. But of course, nothing less than an actual dragon can execute a similar technique. No one can escape the furious winds produced by a dragon's brilliant ascent into the heavens.'

With his footing uneven and the God of Dragon's Seiryu inching closer and closer, Fujita had a very little window of opportunity to strike.

'But while the dragon's advantage lies in the heavens, the wolf's advantage lies on the earth,' Fujita contemplated as he crouched low, avoiding the intense vacuum and regaining his balance and leverage.

Dragon and wolf were again face-to-face.

'The claws and teeth of the dragon that soars the heavens can't reach a wolf gone to earth.'

"GATOTSU SANSHIKI!"

The Sacred Beast Seiryu's mouth formed into an 'o' as a fountain of blood exploded through his split skull. "H-H-how... did... you... Saito H-Hajime...?"

"That Saito; he used the eye of the whirling vacuum to propel his upward strike into the dragon's skull!" Genkai said, impressed. "His attack stance was sunk down low. By maintaining that stance, using the ground's recoil to the impact of air generated by the dragon's first strike, he had a chance of withstanding the vacuum. The vacuum can't work on what's not above it, after all. Then, by using the power of the void to aim, and half-turning to meet the turning second attack, his attack struck home. He's good. He figured out how to counter the dragon's attack at a glance."

"Humph. I haven't really 'figured it out at a glance,' as you've stated. I merely compared it to a similar technique I've already seen," Fujita explained after overhearing Genkai's statements. "So far, it seems that the bastard's technique is nothing more than an inferior copy of the one I saw. It only goes to show that a technique can only be as good as its user, no matter how powerful it is."

Finally recovering from his dumbstruck state, Kuwabara demanded, "What the hell are you two talking about?" just as he made his way to the decimated combat zone.

"Something far beyond the grasp of your intellect," Fujita answered.

"HEY! Saito, Fujita or whoever you are! You just shut up, you crazy cop!" Kuwabara rejoined.

"I agree with the policeman," Genkai grinningly joked.

"Aw, man! Not you too, granny!" the red-haired boy whined.

"Never mind that! We've got to find a way to reverse Keiko's condition!"

"I told you to stop celebrating each and every minor victory. Celebrate only after you're completely sure you've killed me."

The last statement got everybody's attention. It came from Seiryu.

"Being so presumptuous is the reason why the Chojin defeated you in the first place, Miburo," Seiryu said through gasping breaths. "Are you going to make the same mistake a century later?"

"Be my guest," Seiryu dared, unfazed.

"Wish granted." With one fell swoop, the policeman extricated his sword from the God of Dragons Seiryu's head while completely cleaving its thick skull in half. The following shower of blue blood completely covered the errant law enforcement officer.

Fujita afterwards felt his body go frigid.

The Shisejyu Seiryu smirked despite his bloodied state. "In real battle, there are no rules. Everything can be used as a weapon. There are people who are described to have 'ice' in their veins instead of blood. Well, my dragon incarnate literally has 'ice' in its veins, only colder still. The azure blood of the dragon is colder than even the coldest of ice. It will spread in your body until you become a brittle mass of frozen flesh, blood, and bones."

"Not. While. I. Can. Still. Move," Fujita disjointedly but clearly stated as he struggled against the frigidness of his body.

"No. It ends here." Seiryu unceremoniously shoved his hand into his skull, which opened up his and the God of Dragon's head wound some more. Consequently, a deluge of blue from the dragon Seiryu's split cranium rained upon Fujita, caking him with hardening, quicksilver-like blood. Soon, nothing was left of the officer except for a person-shaped mound of sapphire.

"Saito Hajime-san!" Genkai shouted in absolute shock.

"Officer Fujita!" echoed Kuwabara in disbelief.

Seiryu clutched his head in agony as he experienced the headache to end all headaches. Genkai could only give him a wary look as he slowly came to.

'He's supposed to be dead at this point. On the other hand, he should have been dead from the start, since he had been killed by Yusuke and the others. Negative energy is what's keeping him alive.' Genkai narrowed her eyes. She knew where Seiryu was getting generous amounts of jaki.

Sure enough, the Blue Dragon Sacred Beast yet again siphoned even more jaki from Keiko in an attempt to heal his wounds. 'That stupid ghost gave me a hell of a time. Had he been revived by the Reikai with reiki in the same manner we Shisejyu have been revived with jaki? Oh well, it doesn't matter at this point. However...'

Soon, though the young girl's face was still doll-like and apathetic, her left eye bled crimson tears.

"It seems that my new avatar won't last any longer. Damn that Saito and his Gatotsu!" Seiryu cursed with a scowl.

"It's trash like you who should be damned, Seiryu! Let Keiko-chan GO!" Kuwabara proclaimed as he rolled up his tattered sleeves. "I was able to give Rando a sound beating. I don't see why you should be any different! COME ON! COME AND GET IT!"

Ignoring the boisterous youth before him, Seiryu's eyebrows furrowed. "The old hag is gone." In the blink of an eye, he quickly blocked Genkai's attempt at recapturing Keiko.

"Hag. It's over. You've lost. Not even the great Saito Hajime could help you," Seiryu expounded as he held Genkai's fist at bay with a clawed hand. "Let me guess. You have no intention of letting me use up the girl's life essence and you won't dare let me prolong her suffering in my hands. More or less, is that what you're going to say, my self-righteous opponent?"

"You yourself already know your sin, yet you go about it like it doesn't matter," Genkai nearly spat. "You disgust me. HYAKU RETSU-KEN!"

Seiryu spotted and blocked each and every one of Genkai's quick strikes, but he had to relinquish his hold of the aged martial artist to do so. Taking advantage of this, Genkai finished her Hundred Punch Rush with a fierce blow that flung her away from the Blue Dragon Saint Demon. She immediately reversed her momentum as she thrust her right leg forward and shouted, "HIRYU KYAKU!"

Seiryu blocked the blow with his knee as he impaled the old woman's stomach with his extended claws. He reproved, "I've already seen those moves of yours while you fought Byakko. They're now next to..."

"SUPINE KICK KOUGEKI!" Genkai shouted as she flipped over and struck Seiryu's left side where his gauged eye created a blind spot.

The hidden attack sent the Shisejyu sailing up into the gray skies in surprise. "Fu no Senrei," he summoned in annoyance while he remained airborne, only to boggle in astonishment as he saw a much younger Genkai charge up an energy-brimmed Rei-Gan.

"Your Fu no Senrei won't make it in time. I'll finish you off right here and now, for Keiko's sake," the teenaged Genkai announced as she practically poured her heart and soul into that one blast.

"REI...!"

An inhuman roar was the last thing Genkai heard before she got smacked away by a maddened, mindless, and beast-like Byakko.

Seiryu could only chuckle as his dragon self finally merged with his sacred beast self. "My old comrade! It's good to see that even a whipped dog like yourself could be of some use after all."

The Blue Dragon Shisejyu barely had time to block as a blast of pure energy exploded right in his face. He crashed hard on the ground a while later.

Byakko snarled as his jaws burned with energy he stole from Genkai's half-charged Spirit Ball. He repeated his intense onslaught, shouting, "MEI-KO-SHOU-KAI-HA!" over and over as he mercilessly bombarded Seiryu with energy balls.

But Seiryu wasn't Byakko's only quarry.

Genkai herself nearly got pounded with repeated blasts of jaki from the maddened White Tiger Shisejyu. Not even Kuwabara was spared from Byakko's attacks. He attacked everything that moved, everything that breathed. He needed neither logic nor reason to do so.

"Watch out, granny! Byakko's gone berserk!" Kuwabara screamed at Genkai in panic as he hobbled away from one of Byakko's gratuitous barrage of wild strikes, his blue uniform bloodied and tattered.

"Kuwabara! Get away from him, Byakko! REI-KOU...!"

Frustration. Anger. Hatred. Violence. Retribution. Vengeance. Those were the only things that mattered to the fierce, bestial creature as of now. While he had those emotions inside of him, neither Heaven nor Hell could stop him. He was a destructive, mindless behemoth that would go to great lengths just to sate the hate burning inside of him.

"Byakko! What has happened to you?" Genkai shrieked, biting her lip as her feline opponent's claws dug deep into her calf. She was callously flung around like a rag doll as Byakko started to literally maul her.

Byakko looked at his bloodied claws in awe, overwhelmed by the power behind them. With just a few strikes he could literally kill all of them: the old woman, the human boy who defeated him, even Seiryu himself. The destructive viciousness that besieged the beast-like youkai desensitized him of all anguish; of everything. Nothing else concerned him save for the irresistible urge to kill he had.

"Genkai-baasan! LET GO OF HER, BASTARD!" Kuwabara ineffectually grappled with the White Tiger Shisejyu from behind, silently cursing his lack of spiritual energy due to his fight with Rando.

Seiryu could only cackle in glee as he struggled to get up from the thrashing his fellow Sacred Beast gave him. "You really are pathetic, Byakko. The only way you could gain a decent amount of jaki is to surrender to it fully, body and soul. Yes, you've now become a veritable killing machine, but all you have now is killer instinct, nothing more! Go ahead and kill the old hag. Afterwards, I'll kill you again, just like before!"

'Seiryu was the one who originally murdered Byakko?' Genkai thought through the haze of her mind as she struggled to protect herself from Byakko's violent offensive. 'Then that means...!'

"YOU MOTHERFUCKING BASTARD! Stop picking on little old ladies and face ME!" Kuwabara finally hollered as he clawed at Byakko's eyes and burnt face. The youkai yowled in pain as he threw the tall, teenage boy at the barely conscious Genkai.

"Seiryu's right. You really have become pathetic," Kuwabara silently muttered as he crawled over Genkai's prone form in an attempt to shield her with his body. 'You couldn't even think for yourself. It doesn't matter that you have all this killer instinct or berserker strength. You're not the Byakko that I fought with all those years ago.' He faced the berserk Byakko with disgust in his eyes. "I know you can't understand a word I'm saying, but... you're no fighter. You're just another mindless, out-of-control youkai."

'Kuwabara...' Genkai thought, looking over the young man's shoulder just as Byakko prepared his lethal strike.

The strike never came. Instead, Byakko instantaneously pounced on Seiryu again.

"W-Why the hell did he do that?" Kuwabara managed to squeak out confusedly.

"You caught me by surprise the first time, Byakko," Seiryu growled as he evaded the one-armed White Tiger's whirling strikes. He caught Byakko's remaining arm and broke it in one swift movement. "But not this time; I won't be killed by a mindless beast."

'I don't understand. Did Byakko opt to attack Seiryu instead of Kuwabara because the boy had no reiki left in him?' Genkai arduously pondered. 'I'm inclined to believe that, but the look in Byakko's eyes just now...'

Seiryu chuckled as Byakko howled like a mad dog. "And you call yourself a Shisejyu? Pitiful. You should see yourself now. You're even worse than a Class-D creature. You're more pathetic than you were after your defeat by hands of that stripling of a human. You are a mockery of what we Shisejyu stand for. The only thing you truly deserve is death."

Byakko rejoined Seiryu's comment by literally biting off the Blue Dragon's forearm. The cold, blue dragon blood consequently gave the White Tiger Holy Beast lockjaw while Seiryu himself shrieked in agony. The Blue Dragon Shisejyu tore his fellow Sacred Beast's arm off in retaliation.

For the second time that day, an inaudible mental click resounded in Genkai's psyche. 'Byakko's jaki! It stems from...!'

Seiryu gasped for air as he strained to absorb even more negative energy from his newly selected avatar. It was the only way he could survive his present injuries. 'Little streams of jaki won't be enough this time. I have to regenerate my arm and replenish my strength, even at the cost of a powerful source of jaki!'

However, the strain was too much for Keiko to take. She screamed in pure agony and pain as her mask of apathy cracked and shattered under Seiryu's desperation.

"KEIKO-CHAN! Seiryu, you...!" Kuwabara hollered as he struggled to rise. He fell down moments later as he himself experienced pure agony and pain; the result of Rando and Byakko's assaults on his person. "Damn it all to hell!"

Byakko felt it; jaki. The young human girl's beleaguered body was producing huge amounts of negative energy. The Holy Beast was soon drawn to the tormented girl the way sharks were drawn to the smell of blood. He had found his new target.

"MY AVATAR! Don't you dare..." Seiryu started as he pounced at Byakko, only to get blasted away by unexpected Mei-Ko-Shou-Kai-Ha.

One claw strike was all it took to end Keiko's suffering.

But it wasn't meant to be.

'Genkai-baasan?'

"Old hag."

"WAKE UP, BYAKKO! Wake up and understand the root of your suffering! IT'S REVENGE AGAINST SEIRYU THAT YOU WANT, NOT BLOODLUST! REI HANDOU!"

Genkai used up all of her remaining power on that one powerful strike. Curiously enough, it did not finish off the armless beast as the spark of intelligence finally glinted in his eyes. Byakko fainted soon afterwards.

'Rei Handou; I've heard of that move before...' Kuwabara reflected pensively. 'Wait! Of course! That's the strike granny used on the Ichigaki Team during the Black Martial Arts Tournament! But wasn't it used to get rid off Ichigaki's mind control thingies? Does that mean...'

"The Rei Handou is a technique used to even out imbalanced ki-flow. The Chojin created a disparity in Byakko's ki, which made him go berserk every time he made use of jaki. I used the Rei Handou to relieve him of that impediment to his own judgment and reasoning," Genkai explained.

"Bravo. You figured it all out. I'd clap to applaud you, but I'm a bit handicapped right now," Seiryu derided. "The Chojin didn't want to waste Byakko's 'potential,' so that's why he opted to drive him mad with power instead. Though I personally would have preferred it if he hadn't revived the whipped dog in the first place. As you can see, he's more trouble than he's worth."

"You seem very complacent about it, despite the fact that you've already spent a lot of your strength," Genkai barked as she fell into her characteristic battle stance.

Seiryu sneered. "You act as if you're still a threat to me."

Keiko was shivering in pain, as if she had a severe fever. In turn, Seiryu's severed arm restored itself as more and more negative energy filled his body.

"You motherfucking bastard," Kuwabara seethed through grit teeth while Genkai remained silent.

Seiryu addressed Genkai once more, avowing, "You're so utterly predictable; saving Byakko and the girl with one fell swoop. How very typical, yet impressive. However," Seiryu motioned with his remaining hand as it brimmed with negative energy, "you have now completely depleted all your reserves of spiritual power. And, seeing his current state, that young boy beside you won't be much of help either. You have now left yourselves completely at my mercy. Your melodramatic sympathies have just cost you your lives."

A flicker of emotion was seen through Genkai's shimmering eyes as she mournfully took one last look at Keiko Yukimura. 'I'm so sorry, Keiko. I'm sorry that I wasn't able to save you.'

Seiryu continued, stating, "Oh, by the way, thank you for sparing my source of power's life _and_ getting rid of the bane of my existence all at the same time. As a show of my appreciation, allow me to give you and your companion a glorious death. Feel the full consequences of your foolishness."

Again, the deluge of icy rain came as Seiryu released the God of Dragons from his body. It leaped up and hung in the air, light reflecting off each shimmering scale as it howled a shrill cry evocative of the terrifying shrieks of the blameless.

"Kyomei Jisatsu Jin... Fu no Senrei."

With an eardrum-shattering scream, the snake-like creature ascended further into the dark skies until it was hovering high above the powerless Kuwabara and Genkai. After that, it quickly descended, rumbling down onto the luckless duo like an unstoppable avalanche of ice and snow drawn from the very depths of the Demon World, in the Land of the Koorime.

But it had been said, "What goes around, comes around."

"BOUKO HYOUGA!" Byakko managed to call out despite his stiffened jaw. His body quickly grew and hardened as his muscles hypertrophied in the same manner his Kaiwan had.

The Fu no Senrei pounded hard against Byakko's rock-hard, armless body, yet he would not give an inch to the relentless assault. Genkai and Kuwabara could only stare in shock and awe at the spectacle before them.

"You traitor. So it seems that you've shown your true colors. You don't even know where your loyalty lies," Seiryu derided in revulsion. "I never thought that you could stoop any lower than you could, but again you proved me wrong. Die with those pathetic humans."

Byakko laughed maniacally as he stared at Seiryu through eyes of lunacy.

'I hate you.'

He could not scream the words at that point, but the technique he did was unmistakably the Mei-Ko-Shou-Kai-Ha. The concentrated blast of destructive force tore through the body of the serpentine dragon, continuing on with minimal loss of velocity as it headed straight for Seiryu.

'I've hated you from the time you've killed me in the Maze Castle to the time we've spent together in Hell.'

Frustration. Anger. Hatred. Violence. Retribution. Vengeance. All those emotions were released in that one, all-or-nothing blast.

'I've hated you since the Chojin revived all of us from damnation in exchange of our loyalty and freedom. I've hated you as Suzako became one of the Chojin's elite. I've hated you as Suzako trained us to become stronger by means of ruthless torture.'

The subsequent explosion that impacted upon Seiryu's person was beyond words.

'I've hated you even after the Chojin made me go mad with power just to prevent me from murdering you.'

If at that point Seiryu gained the ability to turn his own suffering into negative energy, he would have had enough power to rival that of the Chojin's.

'I hate you so much that I would kill you and then revive you repeatedly just to kill you again and again.'

Byakko cackled one last time before his own body shattered into cold, brittle pieces.

A period of dense tension passed Genkai and Kuwabara in a leisurely pace.

"I-It's good that that those two monsters have finished each other off, eh?" Kuwabara asked hesitantly, just to break the ice.

"But who really is the monster?" Genkai mused as she finally recovered from the energy-draining Rei Handou technique.

"What are you saying, Genkai-baasan?"

"Nothing," Genkai replied, sighing. Next, she added, "Kuwabara, you weren't able to finish Byakko off when you fought with him, right?"

"So what of it?"

"I wasn't insulting your abilities. Seiryu was the one who killed him, wasn't he?"

"Uh, yeah. I guess he did."

"That settles it. Everything that happened was meant to happen."

"Um, okay," Kuwabara said, nodding absently. He admittedly didn't understand the gravity of Genkai's words, but that didn't matter to him much. "Well, at least now that those two are dead, Keiko's safe, right?"

Genkai narrowed her eyes as she grit her teeth. "Wrong."

"Wrong? What do you...?" Kuwabara confusedly asked. He got his answer moments later.

It began to rain.

"Be careful, Kuwabara! That rain, it is no ordinary rain! It's...!"

The warning came too late as Kuwabara literally froze in his tracks like a statue. Genkai tried desperately to outrun the hazardous shower, but soon Death's icy grip took hold of her as well. Each droplet burned through her skin as they spread across her body like poison.

It was a bloody rain; the bloody rain of Seiryu's own blood.

The Shisejyu Seiryu rose from the rubble as an icy flood spread across the ravaged lands. A quarter of his face and parts of his body were missing, but he was for the most part alive. His next words were simple and uncomplicated.

"I've won."

He looked ahead and saw that his avatar, though lifeless as a marionette, was still intact. That was wonderful, since a good avatar is hard to find. His God of Dragons counterpart floated above her in the sky, shrieking in victorious delight as it let its blood flood the mountainside.

"So after everything that had happened... after going through the Miburo, Byakko, and even Genkai, I am still the one who emerged victorious. As Saito Hajime is the 'immortal' one of the Shinsengumi, I am the immortal one of the Shisejyu. And I am even better than Saito Hajime, because I am still alive and he is now dead. I am the one who killed the immortal wolf."

"Indeed, Saito Hajime is dead. But I am not Saito Hajime," said a slightly muffled yet menacing voice.

Seiryu nearly jumped up in surprise after hearing the disembodied declaration. The Blue Dragon Shisejyu swung his head wildly in all directions as he desperately tried to find out where the voice came from. He quickly spotted from behind him a person-shaped mound of his hardened, coagulated blood. The Saint Demon laughed in relief as he regained his cool demeanor.

"I thought I've finished you off. No matter. I'll let you feel the might of my Fu no Senrei for one last time."

"You won't even get the chance to do that."

"Indeed? Prove me wrong, then. Fu no Senrei."

As the Holy Beast said the words, the misty yet unmistakable form of a giant wolf appeared, its shining eyes glowing in the gathering darkness. It pounced on the approaching God of Dragons, ravaging Seiryu's draconic counterpart in the same way Byakko had with Genkai and Kuwabara a few moments earlier.

A muffled chortle was heard amidst the chaos.

Seiryu growled at the frigid Miburo as more of his cerulean blood was spilled on the ground. "Seeing your pathetic state, even if my Fu no Senrei can't finish you off, I still can. Die." The Holy Beast punched through the unmoving police officer's chest area with no trouble at all.

"You've just sealed your fate," Fujita stated as he began crushing and breaking through the blue ice that caked his body. Soon, even at close range, the policeman was able to aim his long katana a hairbreadth away from Seiryu's neck.

"W-WHAT?" Seiryu exclaimed as he tried to back away from the deadly weapon, but his bleeding legs failed him. His whole body failed him. His own icy blood, ironically enough, had frozen him as well. "Who the hell are you? What the hell are you? A ghost? A spirit? A monster?"

"Saito Hajime is just a person who lived during a bygone era. Fujita Goro is just a name. I am neither just a person nor a name. I am beyond that."

"Y-You're crazy! GET THE HELL AWAY FROM ME!"

"What I am is justice. What I represent are these three words: Aku Soku Zan."

"A-Aku Soku Zan?"

"With pleasure. GATOTSU ZEROSHIKI!"

The Shisejyu Seiryu... along with the dragon Seiryu... was broken apart in two like Rumpelstiltskin was after losing his bet. The God of Dragons consequently melted away like thawing ice.

* * *

Acting by some unknown providence, Iehik ceased his panicky chattering as he felt both the life forces of the two Shisejyu ebb and vanish. In an uncharacteristic grim tone, he ordered to Iehog, "Grab the Reikai woman and bring her with us. The two Sacred Beasts have died. We can now make use of them as leverage."

"I understand, big brother."

"Hold up! This isn't part of our deal!" Botan managed to say despite her recent breakdown. "And I'm not going anywhere until I see Keiko..."

She was effortlessly silenced by a swift, backhanded strike at the back of her head care of the monstrous Iehog. "We should have done that in the first place, big brother."

"No matter. It's of no consequence to us. Today, we shall meet our destiny."

* * *

"W-W-Where the hell are _you_ going, F-F-Fujita?" Kuwabara stuttered through the coldness of the draconic blood that caked his body.

"Stand still," Genkai admonished as she struggled to thaw out Kuwabara using what little spiritual energy was left in her person. She herself shivered in dread, silently cursing her carelessness during her battles with Seiryu and Byakko.

"To Battousai," Fujita tersely replied to Kuwabara.

"O-Oh, I see." Kuwabara nodded to Fujita, even though he wasn't quite sure to what exactly he was nodding to. Licking his dry and frostbitten lips, he prodded, "W-What about B-Battousai...?"

A sinister smile crept its way into Fujita's mouth as he addressed Kuwabara's question before the young man could even finish it. "He and I have some unfinished business to attend to." And so the immortal wolf left the ice-covered mountainside to hunt down his eternal rival.

As Kuwabara observed the retreating form of the Last Wolf of Mibu, he wondered out loud, "H-Hey, granny. What's a Battousai?" Hearing no response from the Master of the Spirit Light Waves, the adolescent opted to change the subject.

"H-Hey! T-The rest of the Saint Beasts are also here, right? M-Maybe if we can somehow trick psycho-cop to help us, then he can f-finish them all off!"

"We have more important things to attend to," Genkai reproved gravely as she gave Keiko Yukimura's prone form a pensive, guilt-ridden look.

* * *

Genbu frantically ranted to himself as Kenshin left him for dead, 'NO! This is all Rando's fault. Him and his harebrained schemes! He wanted me to fight the samurai so that he could take advantage of Urameshi's bond with him. If the samurai gets hurt, Urameshi gets hurt too and vice-versa. Rando said that I could beat Urameshi by beating the samurai, but he's really just using me! Dammit! If I had defeated Urameshi earlier, then I could have been the shining star of the Shisejyu! I would have been the project, the future leader of our group now that Suzako has joined the ranks of the Shinju. Hell, I could have been worthy enough to be one of the Shinju! Not Suzako, not Byakko, and especially not that creep Seiryu, but ME! It should have been me who's the right-hand man of the Chojin! I've been screwed by everybody! Screwed by Rando, screwed by Suzako, screwed by...'

Genbu gnashed his teeth until little bits of pebbles and dust fell out of his mouth as the apparition of a lithe, effeminate Kurama overlaid itself against Kenshin's form.

"IGNORE ME, WILL YOU? Well, I will soon teach you to fear the name of GENBU!" The holy beast shouted, waking the swordsman spirit from his reverie.

Kenshin's eyes went wide as he felt a Molotov cocktail of jaki and youki well up anew in his Shisejyu opponent's shattered body. He turned towards his enemy's direction. His mouth fell open in shock.

Almost immediately, the holy beast's remains blew up into dust and debris. From there, the explosion collapsed into an implosion that sucked clumps of dirt and piles of rock together. The bits and pieces of Genbu's shattered body quickly reformed and reconstituted themselves. After a moment, the stone golem Shisejyu's body was whole again. Genbu gave the ex-rurouni his trademark grin.

The recombinant technique was unmistakable. This was Genbu's Tetsuzan Kou, the maneuver he had used against Yusuke just a while back. Kenshin drew the Youtou Shinnoken from its sheath once more. "I've already warned you. I don't have time to play with you, Genbu-dono. This unworthy one still has to find and rescue Keiko-dono and Botan-dono..."

"SHUT UP!" Genbu spat. Satisfied that _that_ worked, the tortoise-like saint demon continued, "I'm sick and tired of your over-politeness and unassuming behavior. It disgusts me to the very pits of my soul. For being such a complete and total wimp, I'm going to punish you tenfold, samurai! Tetsuzan Kou: DEFENSE UP!"

It wasn't noticeable at first, but soon sparkling pinpoints of light quickly surrounded the stone golem in a hypnotic and enigmatic waltz. Slowly but surely, these glittery spots converged towards Genbu's reformed body.

Kenshin observed warily as Genbu's rocky skin soon obtained a metallic sheen to it. The swordsman squinted. Sure enough, he was able to distinguish the glistening particles that enclosed the shisejyu, coating his stony body with...

"...Iron!" Kenshin couldn't help but exclaim.

Genbu smiled horribly as he merged with the ground and charged at the errant swordsman.

'Ingenious! By melding with the ground, Genbu-dono now has the ability to move through it at a fairly quick pace despite weighing about twice as much as before,' Kenshin surmised. Nevertheless, he saw no point in letting Genbu get the first chance to strike. Calculating his opponent's trajectory, the swordsman proceeded to jump ten feet directly above the Shisejyu.

"RYU TSUI SEN!"

In perfect form, Kenshin executed what could have been the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu's most powerful leaping attack. Time stood still for both the swordsman spirit and the Shisejyu beast as the Ryu Tsui Sen hit Genbu cleanly on the head.

After what seemed to be an eternity, time flowed again as seconds ticked by; the frozen moment was instantly thawed for all to see. Seconds insistently passed as it woke up the unwilling, making apparent the cruel reality of the situation.

Genbu grinned his broken Cheshire grin as the Demon Sword clanged pitifully against his iron-coated cranium. "I bet you weren't expecting this!"

'The iron coating on his body is too thick!' Kenshin mentally exclaimed, barely avoiding the swat of his opponent's gigantic hand by a hairbreadth of an inch. 'I reckon that I better find a way to get through his armor.'

Kenshin flipped over the youkai, landing several feet away from him. He afterwards charged from behind and swung the Demon Sword towards the ground.

"DOU RYU SEN!"

The resulting strike from the Youtou Shinnoken unleashed a raging avalanche of debris that completely swallowed the Stony Saint Beast. The thick clouds of dust that emanated from the crushing waves of earth slowly cleared, revealing something that left Kenshin dumbfounded.

"Heh. That tickled." Unfortunately, notwithstanding Kenshin's efforts, the Dragon Earth Flash didn't even faze Genbu.

Laughing mockingly, Genbu remarked, "What's wrong, samurai? Is that all you've got?" With that said, the tortoise-like golem quickly melded with the ground and disappeared yet again.

'I can still avoid Genbu-dono's attacks and counterattacks from up close because of the sluggishness of his heavy body, but considering the circumstances, he still has the upper hand. He can still get me. I can't give him that chance, for Yusuke-dono's sake,' Kenshin thought as he used his heightened senses to feel out the whereabouts of his current adversary.

"Now it's my turn!" Genbu exclaimed as he suddenly appeared just ten feet away from Kenshin.

'I have to finish this fight now. I can't risk getting in the way of Yusuke-dono's fight with the other demon by hurting myself; or rather, by hurting the both of us. This bond we share with this accursed sword has left us both compromised.'

Waking up from his deep contemplation, Kenshin turned and charged straight for Genbu's serpentine tail.

"I've got you now!" Genbu roared as he swung his deadly appendage towards Kenshin in a nigh-inescapable spiral. "Say good-bye to life, samurai!"

During the split-second where iron-coated stone should have impacted messily with ethereal flesh, Kenshin pivoted on his right foot and turned. His resulting pirouette helped him avoid the weaving motions of Genbu's metallic tail. Then, using the centrifugal force of his sudden body rotation to balance himself, the former Ishin Shishi delivered a retributive blow at the back of Genbu's thick barrel neck.

"RYU KAN SEN!"

Kenshin executed the Dragon Sword Swathe flawlessly; in the same manner he executed it against Hajime Saito, even. Alas, all that was for naught. He did not achieve the same level of success against the fourth Saint Beast as he did with the Third Captain of the Shinsengumi.

"Good job!" was Genbu's mocking riposte as he shrugged off the revolving sword strike like it was nothing. He thusly turned and reared back his twin boulders-for-fists as he prepared to squash Kenshin like an oversized gnat.

However, the Ryu Kan Sen was only the first part of Kenshin's assault. The real reason he used the move was to get close enough to execute his follow up attack.

Despite the metallic skin exterior and hard granite interior of Genbu's body, the balls and sockets of his joints were still left bare and unprotected. This was because joints in general were basically just gaps that permitted free movement; exploitable openings that were susceptible to attack.

'If I were to hit Genbu-dono's joints all at the same time with the Ryu Sou Sen's multi-hit strikes, then his top-heavy body will collapse into itself,' Kenshin thought as he quickly sized up the distance needed to implement his counteroffensive.

"RYU SOU...!"

At that very moment, Kenshin's world promptly exploded.

* * *

Rando's vision blurred as he tasted the rusty tang of his own blood. The spray of crimson from below his chest was in stark contrast to the pasty complexion of his veined chest, making it look as if he were wearing a tattered red bib of some sort. Upon rubbery legs did the demon fall.

Under normal conditions, Yusuke's powerful strike would have literally beheaded Rando save for two facts. First, the demon was an alumnus of the Dark Arts of Kyuuketsuki Kakutou Ryu, which left him immune to every sort of ki-attack so long as his blood pressure remained stronger than his opponent's. Second, the Iron Body technique kept him away from bodily harm's reach. Purely physical attacks meant nothing to him. There was no way Yusuke could get through the iron gauntlet of his dual extreme defenses.

So why was he stabbed on the heart by a stolen sword technique that, by all intents and purposes, shouldn't have hurt him at all?

'Why? How?' Rando mentally wailed to the mocking and niggling fates as he swung his balled-up fists at the unseen hands of circumstance.

Blood had always been a key factor in the propagation of life. Blood was one of the factors that influenced ki-flow, dampening or strengthening it at will. Blood ki was an altogether different power from spirit ki, sword ki, or demon ki. To put it simply, neither of Rando's defensive countermeasures could have blocked the amplified power of Yusuke's unpredictable attack. His blood pressure was

'Vampire blood, for all its mutated glory, magnifies and absorbs ki-energy a bit _too_ well. All energy, ki or otherwise, has a propensity to flow freely into vampire bodies unfiltered, which explains why vampires possess nigh-limitless strength and heightened abilities. On the other hand, it also explains why they have such intolerance to ultraviolet light. Left unchecked, too much sunlight... pure energy, in a sense... would quickly burn a vampire inside out,' Rando contemplated at length as he continued to struggle against the inviting darkness.

Ironically enough, the same blood ki that protected Rando from the Rei-Gan earlier was what ultimately led to his downfall. The blood ki from Rando's own blood was the very thing that focused the Jigen Tou's reiki to the point that it bypassed his supposedly impenetrable shield. By underestimating his opponent yet again, Rando was compromised once more.

'But that's impossible! Inconceivable! I had everything figured out. This shouldn't have happened. Not to me, at least. I've sacrificed too much to get to this point; too much. Every day, I've dreamed about this moment... the moment when Urameshi Yusuke would die by my hands. Whether awake or asleep, vengeance was the only thing in my mind. To me, our first fight just happened yesterday. Time meant nothing to me as I whiled away the endless hours of solitary confinement by training doubly hard so that one day I can finally use the upper-echelon techniques that I've stolen from countless fighters against him! This is a simple goal. Can't I have this simple goal? Or is that also too much for even me to attain?

Darkness beckoned, but Rando didn't answer. He straightened himself up, relishing the heartrending pain that kept unwanted slumber at bay. 'I won't be defeated by that little son of a human bitch who's undeserving of both his great power and demonic lineage. I have infinitely more talent than he'll ever hope to have. If I had inherited the Spirit Light Gem and the Rei-Kou-Hadou-Ken School, then I would have reached A-Class, or even S-Class. I would have become the next ruler of the Demon World; Raizen, Mukuro and Yomi be damned. That bitch Genkai was stupid to make Urameshi her student. _I_ would have made her school famous in all of the three worlds. To think, all that potential and luck wasted on a loser like Urameshi. He's trash. He threw away his opportunity to rule over the whole of Makai, of all things! I'll show him. I'll show him here and now who is the better choice. I'll show him that I'm the only one who really deserves the kind of life he has.'

Rando's eyes snapped open, ending his battle against oblivion. 'This fight hasn't even begun. It can't end this way. It won't. I won't let it.'

Chanting a secret hymn to himself, Rando summoned a unique skill that he reserved only for last resorts. "BLOOD WIND!"

A crimson tornado that reached all the way up to the ceiling of the dojo emerged from, surreally enough, Rando's bloody chest. Yusuke was taken completely by surprise as the red cyclone swallowed him up and whirled him around in a raging spiral of death.

Rando smirked as he reveled at the destructive power of the Blood Wind. 'By this time, the Blood Wind should have finished siphoning all of Urameshi's goddamned reiki. Just like before, he'll be helpless against me without his precious spiritual power.' The demon afterwards scowled as his legs buckled underneath him.

Just as Yusuke's reiki was reduced to dangerously low levels, Rando's physical strength had also been jeopardized. It was the perfect stalemate.

The Blood Wind was a desperation move created specifically to help a heavily wounded fighter in battle by the use of his own blood. Utilizing his blood plasma as heat energy and his natural state of shock as cold energy, a powerful tornado could be formed. This tempest, in turn, had the ability to reduce an opponent's ki to zero.

As Rando mentioned early on, the ki of a wounded opponent was far more likely to disperse than that of an unwounded foe's. It didn't matter if the injured fighter was able to miraculously summon large amounts of ki by sheer force of will; the spiritual energy wouldn't hold for long against students of the Vampire Martial Arts.

But the reverse was also true. If a Kyuuketsuki Kakutou Ryu disciple were injured in battle, then his ki would also be compromised. That was why the Blood Wind technique was created; to help users of the discipline during these critical situations.

The Blood Wind had one setback, though. The use of this technique was so perilous that it could actually kill whomsoever wielded it. Its tendency of consuming large amounts of its user's blood could put its user's life at risk.

That was the reason why Rando shrunk himself a while back after his fight with Kuwabara; he could recuperate from losing so much blood faster in a smaller body. The Blood Wind was the double-edged sword that almost killed him, not the Jigen Tou.

'Damn it,' Rando and Yusuke unwittingly chorused.

* * *

As such, as Yusuke was sucked into the vortex that was the Blood Wind, Kenshin's whole world exploded; the wayward half-demon's current plight and pain were now his to bear as their emphatic bond with each other activated.

Seizing the window of opportunity before him, Genbu proceeded to smash the hapless former vagabond in between his stony fists. He subsequently whipped him around with his ball-and-chain-like tail like there was no tomorrow.

The Golem Saint Beast cackled as he dribbled Kenshin's body in the air like a volleyball, never letting the corporeal swordsman spirit hit the ground.

"Y-Yusuke-d-dono..." Kenshin barely blurted out while being roughly manhandled by his Shisejyu opponent. "I'm s-sorry..."

* * *

As the luckless Yusuke was flung around by the miniature typhoon, he remembered his shared dilemma with Kenshin. The swordsman ghost's efforts to not get hurt for his sake had somewhat become fruitless amidst his own failure to protect himself. They were now both trapped in an endless cycle of mind-numbing agony.

'I can't let that wimpy samurai get hurt just because I myself have gotten careless. Hell, I can feel his regret all over me. Dammit, it ain't your fault, Kenshin. It's mine.'

Yusuke was somehow able to get a glimpse of the weakened Rando in the face of the dizzying rotations of the red twister. The demon seemed exhausted by his efforts as he just crouched there and trembled; he was practically a sitting duck, even. 'Let me make it up to you, Kenshin.'

Using the momentum he had gained by whirling inside the miniature typhoon for so long, Yusuke impetuously hurled himself into the eye of the storm.

If it was Kurama who was planning the dangerous move, he would have calculated his trajectory, velocity, momentum, and aim with unerring precision. If it was Hiei, then he would have used the power of his mystical third eye and instinctive speed to accomplish the seemingly impossible. If it was Kuwabara, then boundless amounts of luck and a sense of foolhardy courage was called for.

But this was Yusuke Urameshi, the incarnate of spontaneity and chaos. He did not have a third eye, unerring precision, or boundless amounts of luck on his side. All he had was his devil-may-care recklessness. Most of the time, that was enough.

Using only his determination and willpower to control the direction of his unceremonious flight, he went straight towards his intended quarry.

"RANDO!"

* * *

Kenshin's eyes widened as his body twisted and flew in concurrence to Yusuke's. The sudden shift in movement inadvertently helped him avoid further flogging from Genbu.

'What is Yusuke-dono planning?' Kenshin wondered as his body spun around in a spiraling fashion. 'This is absolutely insane! Insane, I say!'

Genbu growled in frustration. "GRAAAGH! Stay still, samurai! Stay still and take your beating like the piece of shit that you are!"

'So I'm moving in coordination with Yusuke-dono. Fascinating,' Kenshin reflected in awe. 'But Yusuke-dono's movements are too erratic. At this rate, the success of his attack will literally be a gamble.'

After a few more seconds of quiet contemplation, Kenshin noticed something vaguely familiar about the pattern of his aerial flight. The synchronized spiraling movements were coincidentally similar to one of the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu's many techniques.

Altering his trajectory ever so slightly while quickly increasing the speed and velocity of his bodily rotation, Kenshin executed unto Genbu one of the many variants of the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu's Dragon Sword Swathe.

"Ryu Kan Sen TSUMUJI!"

* * *

**To be Continued...**

_Next: Turtle versus Dragon, Demon versus Mazoku._

_Ja!_  
**Abdiel**


	9. Chapter 8

**Youtou Shinnoken: Demon Sword**

A Yuyu Hakusho/Rurouni Kenshin fic  
by Chester Castañeda

Original concept by Chad Yang

The battle between Rando and Yusuke rages on simultaneously with Kenshin and Genbu's own fight.

_Disclaimer: Yuyu Hakusho is the rightful property of Yoshihiro Togashi, Shueisha, Fuji TV and St. Pierrot. Rurouni Kenshin is the rightful property of Nobuhiro Watsuki and Sony. This disclaimer also covers all the other copyrighted material that are far too many to mention here. Don't sue me please, I'm very poor._

* * *

**Chapter 8: Over the Horizon (Part 2)**

* * *

Genbu was sent flying to the crystal clear fields of infinite blue skies one follow through of the sword later. After his heavenly ascent came his hellish descent as he went crashing back to earth. The Ryu Kan Sen Tsumuji had done its job.

Or so Kenshin thought.

"Impressive," was Genbu's sarcastic droll as he leisurely got up to his metal-encrusted feet, none the worse for wear. "This time you've given me quite the crick on the neck." The Stone Golem smirked and rolled his neck. There was an audible popping sound. "Ah. All fixed."

Kenshin stood his ground, refusing to be intimidated. The shooting pain on his charred and bloody shoulder and the fresher cuts and bruises from when Genbu brutally juggled him in midair were acting up again. He also felt strangely exhausted for some reason. But he nonetheless refused to give up. He still had several tricks up his sleeve, after all.

'It's unfortunate that I'm forced to use some of my more advanced techniques on such a low-level demon, but desperate times call for desperate measures, I believe.'

Kenshin's eyes narrowed as, once again, Genbu melded with the ground. He gingerly clutched his aching shoulder. 'This fight has dragged on for far too long.'

"All your little tricks mean nothing to me and my Tetsuzan Kou Defense Up!" Genbu spat as he sandwiched Kenshin with his gargantuan body and his snaking tail. "Let's end this now, samurai!"

"My thoughts exactly," was Kenshin's simple response as he calmly sheathed the Demon Sword back to its scabbard.

* * *

Yusuke couldn't believe his eyes. Rando had somehow survived the devastating power of his Double Barrel Shotgun. Just how the demon accomplished such a feat, he could only guess; he did take note that the strands of silk that currently enveloped the youkai's chest like a protective vest might have something to do with it.

"You're so annoyingly tenacious, Urameshi Yusuke," Rando surmised. He sneered and harrumphed as he dusted himself off. "But so am I."

Despite his bravado, Rando inwardly cringed at Yusuke's sharp, unblinking glare on him. It was a glare of definite challenge that pierced through the demon's bluster.

'Is that all you got?' Yusuke seemed to say through his fiery eyes. 'Are you happy with this?'

Truth be told, Rando was far too weak to execute the Iron Body Technique and the Inner Blood Turmoil properly at that point. So he decided to make use of a third defensive technique; the demonic silken threads he used just recently. These durable threads, which had the tensile strength of one-hundred and twenty pounds per square millimeter of cross section, were apparently up to the task of protecting him from an encumbered Yusuke.

Therefore, what could have been a checkmate in Yusuke's favor reverted to the stalemate of before. Though the Master of a Hundred and One Tactics had lost a lot of blood and was seemingly paralyzed from the waist down, the impudent teenager was still completely ki-less at that point. No one had the advantage.

Needless to say, Rando was not happy with the situation.

As a demon, Rando wasn't supposed to know what the terms 'stalemate' or 'checkmate' meant, but the Human World Game of Chess just happened to be the Chojin's favorite pastime. As the Chojin's special assistant, the youkai had learned quite a lot, and one of the things that the Chojin emphasized to him during their many talks was to never settle for anything less than a 'checkmate' against an opponent.

"No. There will be no stalemate," Rando declared in between exhausted breaths, a stab wound, and immovable legs. "I will win against you absolutely. I will not settle for anything less. I will prove to you that, beyond a shadow of a doubt, you're my bitch."

"Strong words, but it seems to me that I'm not the only one who's in a pickle right now. All I really need is one more good punch and you're history," Yusuke countered. "I'm nobody's bitch, but you're mine."

Rando snorted as he returned Yusuke's glowering gaze. "Really now? Well, you've already had your fun. It's now time for _me_ to play." Just as he said those words, large amounts of blazing energy engulfed him. "All that energy you've just lost has to go somewhere; right, Urameshi Yusuke?"

"Then I simply won't let you use any of it!" Yusuke shouted before disappearing in the blink of an eye.

Rando merely rolled his eyes in disdain as he summoned a fresh batch of Spirit Guillotines using the energy he absorbed through the Blood Wind. "Bite me, Urameshi. SPIRIT GUILLOTINES!"

'What now?' Yusuke thought as he skidded to a halt and circled around the demon. Another thought occurred to him. Though his knowledge of the English language was laughable at best, he at least knew about the difference between a plural and a singular noun. 'Hey, did he say Spirit _Guillotines_? As in more than _one_ guillotine? What the hell's a guillotine, anyway?'

Beams of light energy as thin as sheets of paper appeared in front of Rando. This beams afterwards ripped apart Genkai's dojo like light-green disco lights of death. After traveling about twenty feet, they disappeared instantly and reappeared next to the youkai, surrounding him like neutrons on an atom.

'Oh. So those are guillotines. Okay then. That means I better stay the hell away from them!' Yusuke assessed as he weaved through the smashed columns and tiles while eyeing his deadly nemesis warily.

Every second that followed, the sheets of light attacked, and Yusuke couldn't even catch sight of their strikes. He clutched his leg and his shoulder to keep more of his blood from spilling out. He was beginning to experience the early symptoms of shock as his arm went limp while his leg numbed. He was afraid that the muscles and tendons of his appendages might already be permanently damaged, all because of a fight with one youkai that just refused to quit.

Smirking to himself in self-assurance, Rando opened his mouth and spewed out more of his special silken threads, weaving them onto himself like a protective cocoon of sorts. 'I can now rest here while Urameshi is distracted by my Spirit Guillotines. If everything goes to plan, then I'll have my revenge. I'll have my checkmate.'

* * *

Kenshin tried to ignore the numerous cuts and lesions that started to mysteriously appear all over his body as he struggled to get a clean shot at Genbu and his gravelly tail.

"SOU RYU SEN!"

The Twin Headed Dragon Flash assured no exploitable openings because of its two-part sword and sheathe strikes. Nevertheless, it was a very tricky move to pull off. A large amount of concentration and kenki was needed to make the Double Battoujutsu attack successful.

It seemed that the fates were truly conspiring against the ghost formerly known as Battousai. Even his specialty, the sword-drawing technique, failed him. It was all because of Yusuke Urameshi's utter irresponsibility during battle.

Just as Yusuke had run out of reiki earlier, Kenshin had also run out of kenki. Kenshin quickly realized that his bond with Yusuke was more of a curse than a blessing as his somewhat watered-down battoujutsu strike was completely overwhelmed by the power of Genbu's mace-like tail.

"Gotcha!" Genbu cried out in excitement as he batted Kenshin towards his waiting palms. Upon catching the hapless ghost, he grappled his quarry eagerly.

'Nothing I do seems to be working,' Kenshin observed in despair as he felt his adversary slowly crush the life out of him.

"I told you so. I told you that I'm not the weakest of the Shisejyu. By finishing off both you and Urameshi right here and now, I'll prove just that. BAKURETSU-GANSHOU-DAN!" Genbu's iron-coated hands quickly blew up, sending shrapnel, debris, and Kenshin flying into oblivion.

* * *

Yusuke coarsely cursed under his breath. The Spirit Guillotines cut him up deeply and accurately. As of now, there was little the half-demon could do against Rando and his dangerous techniques.

Speaking of Rando, Yusuke soon noticed that the youkai was presently wrapped in a silken cocoon of his own making. Yusuke's mouth twitched to a scowl. 'Shrewd bastard. While using my own reiki against me, he now has a chance to recuperate in that cocoon of his. Dammit, if only I hadn't used up all my remaining reiki in that Double Barrel Shotgun blast...!'

To make matters worse, Yusuke felt as if were being suffocated for some reason. He accordingly stumbled and fell. 'Dammit, because of the Youtou what's-its-name's stupid bond, it feels like I'm fighting two battles at the same time!'

Yusuke's lungs burned in agony as he felt his ribs constrict. He desperately gasped for air as his vision dimmed.

'Dammit! Dammit, dammit, DAMMIT!'

Then, like Kenshin before him, Yusuke's world promptly exploded just as every single one of the Spirit Guillotines homed in on him.

This was not the first time Kenshin faced what could have been a literally explosive demise. He had already experienced the unique feeling in the hands of another 'monster'.

Like Genbu's exploding palm trick, the damnable 'Guren Kaina' nearly killed Kenshin during his most momentous battle many, many years ago. The distant memory replayed itself in the former vagabond's mind. It was the last memory he ever had before his untimely death.

Both Shishio and Kenshin were bent over, trembling and out of breath. As Shishio struggled to pull himself together, steam began to rise from his body; a scarlet steam.

Shishio's blood was boiling. His temperature was rising even higher, exceeding the coagulating point of blood. He had finally surpassed his human limits. As he slowly got up to his feet, the nearby smokestacks flared. Even then, his kenki was at optimum levels. In this fight, Makoto Shishio held the upper hand.

Kenshin was completely aware of the direness of his situation. The die was already cast, so there was nothing left for him to do but to sacrifice himself then and there.

'My entire body is exhausted, and I'm losing a lot of blood. I've felt death near many times, but this is the first... this is true death. But Shishio's lost almost all of his strength as well. How many years later will he recover? Even if he comes back again, the ones who will bear the next age should be able to stop him. So the mission entrusted to me will end here. To protect this country; to protect this city; and...!'

But he did have one regret in his ultimate decision. He remembered the words of his master, Seijuro Hiko: "If you sacrifice yourself now, a girl who came all the way from Tokyo just to see you will be very unhappy."

'Kaoru-dono.'

"Let's go home together, okay?" were the words mouthed by the lovely, smiling face of the aforementioned girl from Tokyo, Kaoru Kamiya.

'I'm so sorry, Kaoru-dono. I'm so very...'

"Let's go home together... or else I'll whack you!"

'...Oro?'

Kenshin soundly blinked as his vision of Kaoru suddenly smacked him hard with a boat paddle.

Kenshin wrested himself upright, startling the handless Genbu. 'What did it take to kill the swordsman?' the youkai queried to himself in frustration.

"What's going on? Y-You can't be a-alive! Then that means Urameshi is also alive! H-How can you possibly survive my up-close-and-personal Bakuretsu-Ganshou-Dan? This isn't part of the plan! You have to die so that _ I'd_ be the one who kills Urameshi! Two birds with one stone and all that!" the Holy Beast rambled on in aggravation.

Ignoring Genbu's hollow rants, Kenshin said the words he longed for to say but never had a chance to do so.

"I can't die. There's no reason for me to die here. There's still someone waiting for me to come back. Nothing, _nothing_ is stronger than the will to live!"

"What... Waiting for you?" Genbu incredulously asked. After a few moments, he started to cackle contemptuously. "What are you blabbering about? Nobody's waiting for you. You've died a long, long time ago. You're just a clueless, know-nothing samurai that had the misfortune of getting cursed and imprisoned by some demonic sword! Get real."

Kenshin's determined features turned crestfallen as his adversary's words sunk in.

"You can't die, you say? Fool. You're already dead!" Genbu jeered, laughing derisively as he used his Tetsuzan Kou to rebuild his stony hands. "It's too late for you to say such things. It's not your 'life' that I desire to take away, it's Urameshi's. He's the only reason you're even in this mortal plane! You can't possibly have the so-called 'will to live,' because the life you claim to have isn't even yours in the first place."

_You're already dead... Nobody's waiting for you... Your life isn't even yours in the first place... It's too late. _Genbu's taunts reverberated in Kenshin's mind. The harsh truth behind these biting words pierced through the remnants of the lost soul's delicate hope and faith.

After coating his newly reconstructed hands with iron, Genbu decided to add injury to insult by pouncing on the rather distracted and perturbed Guardian of the Demon Sword. "You poor, deluded soul. Don't worry; I'll be the one who'll send you back to your long-lost love ones. You'll join them soon."

Kenshin just stood there, awaiting his miserable fate.

* * *

There was a part of Yusuke's subconscious that was self-aware enough to understand that its host was a passionate man who acted more out of emotion than reason. It was this portion that made sure that the half-demon was out of harm's way most of the time. Knowing Yusuke's tendency to be a trouble magnet, that should be a very busy job for any subconscious to have.

In any case, Yusuke's mind was currently and feverishly looking for a recollection that could trigger an impulsive reaction that should immediately bail him out of his dilemma. It feverishly dug around in the half-demon's psyche for the perfect memory to wake him up before he literally became minced meat care of the converging energy blades.

"KEIKO!" Yusuke woke up with a start, grasping his left cheek in alarm. 'Damn. It was only a dream.' He exhaled noisily. 'Dammit, even in my dreams, Keiko can still slap like she means it!' Sighing, he did his best to shake off the remnants of disorientation that had washed over him.

Yusuke's mind admittedly could have done better than summoning the hackneyed 'Keiko slaps Yusuke to a bloody pulp' memory, but beggars couldn't be choosers.

Yusuke grimaced. An urgent, nagging feeling in his gut told him that he needed to be awake and alert; that he needed to clear his fuzzy memory and find out why he felt as if...

As the awkward sensation flitted inside of him, he suddenly remembered something very important. Actually, he remembered dozens upon dozens of very important things.

Yusuke leaped aside, instinct guiding him as the grazing power of dangerously sharp ki-attacks destroyed the earth where he had been standing.

'Holy shit, that was close!' His limbs ached and his teeth were clenched tight. He pathetically limped as he desperately ran away from the horde of Spirit Guillotines. 'Damn. How could I've been so careless?'

But the nagging feeling he felt earlier never left him. Something was still amiss. Soon enough, this nagging feeling found its voice.

'Yusuke-dono! LOOK OUT BEHIND YOU!'

The shrill screeching of a thousand fiends ensued.

* * *

Genbu's massive jaw dropped. Just as he was about to blow up Kenshin for a second time, his quarry vanished like a ghost right before his very eyes. Well, technically, he _was_ a ghost, but...

'What in the world...?'

As the holy beast looked around him, he was awestruck by what he saw.

There they were. Kenshins. Hundreds of them, appearing and disappearing successively like the dancing waves of the ocean.

'Afterimages,' Genbu mused in bewilderment. 'They're just like the afterimages Rando makes when he's using that quickness technique of his, only the samurai's technique is much better. Faster. More frightening.'

The Shisejyu shook his head as if to clear it. 'No, no, no! Snap out of it. Why am I thinking such things? That wimpy old ghost can barely even _scratch_ me, let alone defeat me. What's really happening is that I already have him on the defensive. One more blast of my Bakuretsu-Ganshou-Dan and he, as well as Urameshi, will be history!'

Meanwhile, Kenshin himself frowned as he feverishly evaded Genbu's attacks with his slick defensive movements. Afterwards, a pressing, troublesome sensation in him told him that he needed to clear his hazy thoughts and...

'Remember.'

Kenshin didn't want to recall anything about his life. He deemed it too humiliating, too awful, and too depressing to even be given a second thought. There was good reason why he didn't remember what had happened to him immediately before he was sealed into the Demon Sword by Koenma half a century ago. He should let sleeping dogs lie and all that.

Nevertheless, Kaoru's voice tugged at his heartstrings like it always did; dragging him out his humanity from the depths of his own despair. After rousing himself from his own mortification, he held his feelings of hopelessness at bay as his mind's voice whispered to him urgently:

'Remember.'

He remembered whatever it was that he could still remember, and he immediately regretted doing so. He remembered _why_ he felt so mindlessly depressed and hopeless; why he _wanted_ to die in the hands of some C-Level demon, albeit it was Yusuke Urameshi's life on the line and not really his.

He had failed. He had failed to keep his promise to Kaoru in the interest of defeating Shishio. He thought he was strong enough to bear the loss of Kaoru Kamiya, Sanosuke Sagara, Yahiko Myoujin, Megumi Takani, and many, many others after his eventual death. But he apparently wasn't, or else he wouldn't be feeling so disheartened right now.

Where were they now? What had happened to them? Would he ever see them again?

He quickly realized that because of his sacrifice, his existence was now an empty one. He was all alone in the altogether alien world of the new age. Besides which, he was eternally cursed to remain a demonic tool of death and destruction at the expense of his forgotten humanity.

'What is the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu for? What is Himura Kenshin for? Once again, I've broken my promise to someone I truly cared for. Kaoru-dono, I'm...'

But he also remembered the words that he longed for Kaoru to say, but he instead heard from someone else.

"Kenshin, welcome back to Tokyo," a certain blue-haired ferry-girl excitedly declared, taking his hand to hers.

Kenshin reminisced staring at Botan's hand in dumbstruck wonder, his mouth forming a little 'o' of shock. He smiled a bit, as if somehow this was the sort of thing that was supposed to happen in his life... his past life... and the sort of thing that should have happened after he fought Shishio.

"Never mind empty, unfulfilled promises! You still have people to protect, Kenshin," Botan and Kaoru seemed to say in unison in Kenshin's complicated imaginings. "You lose what's most precious to you, then exhaust yourself body and soul. But if you have something you can't bring yourself to throw away, whatever anyone says, that's your only truth."

'My... truth?'

He gingerly clutched the Demon Sword in deep contemplation. Though it represented everything that was damnable about his present existence, it also embodied all that was good in him; his childish hopes and dreams, even. He clung to it the same way he steadfastly clung to his foolish, juvenile, and unrealistic credo: "The Sword that Protects."

'There's one thing I can still do. Protect the happiness of the people I see before me. If one sword can still catch people's eyes, than it's enough to protect. Even if one person was suffering before me for whatever reason, I just can't let him be. That is my truth.'

Indeed, he still had people to look after and protect. In particular, he still had Yusuke to save from harm. That was a more powerful truth than his long broken promise to Kaoru. He had died to protect his loved ones, so he would live to do the very same.

Kenshin blinked. The nagging feeling he felt earlier was still there, growing stronger by the minute.

As he continued to stall for time by confusing Genbu with his myriad of reflections, he concentrated. He focused on the feeling.

And there it was; the Youtou Shinnoken's link to his and Yusuke's soul. 'Is this what the hullabaloo's about? Is my shared bond with Yusuke-dono merely acting up again?' he ruminated.

As he focused on the link and felt the brash, impetuous presence of the current bearer of the Demon Sword, he also felt something else. Something was amiss, and this was the real reason why the link had been demanding for his attention for quite sometime now.

Kenshin felt it. He _felt_ the danger that Yusuke was currently in, and his concern soon found its voice, echoing through their shared consciousnesses.

"Yusuke-dono! LOOK OUT BEHIND YOU!"

* * *

Yusuke shivered a bit. Fear? He was far too reckless and rash to even give fear a second thought. Cold? His drained spirit energy aside, the large wooden gates of the dojo remained closed, so no sort of cold draft could enter there. In fact, he felt a bit feverish. Although, as far as he knew, his half-demonic body was immune to all the local human diseases. It must have been anticipation, then. He wanted to get this impromptu battle over with as soon as possible.

'Yusuke-dono! LOOK OUT BEHIND YOU!'

Yusuke easily recognized the effeminate voice. "Wimpy? I mean, Kenshin? Is that _you_? Where the hell are you? Man, I never thought I'd be glad to hear that annoying girly voice of..." he marveled out loud, cutting himself off at the last minute as his companion's words sunk in.

He felt it; the dreadful, nauseating mass of malevolent energy that filled the entirety of the dojo. As he unwillingly focused on the peculiar and repulsive feeling, he soon discerned the origin of the miasma of jaki.

He shivered as he felt the tingling sensation of foreboding crawl down his back like a thousand centipedes. He didn't even bother to turn as he desperately leaped away from the surge of plain pandemonium that congregated from behind him.

D-Level imps and demons of various shapes and sizes materialized everywhere. They were the inferior beasts of Makai, creatures who physically did not look anything human. A cacophony of sounds came out of their gaping maws as they eyed Yusuke like a piece of succulent human meat. The demonic vultures circled the half-human confidently, for he hadn't even a wisp of spirit energy left in his body. They felt no need to fear him.

Under normal conditions, Yusuke would have easily annihilated the demons with no problem whatsoever. In fact, during the Makai Tournament, he did just that to far more numerous and powerful youkai. However, that was under ordinary circumstances.

Even Yusuke, son of Raizen, couldn't survive simultaneous attacks by both the light-green spirit blades and the D-Class demons if he were ki-less and heavily injured. Nevertheless, with help and a bit of luck on his side, perhaps he could still find a way to survive.

Startling the demonic horde before him, Yusuke soon outnumbered both the Spirit Guillotines and the Class-D youkai combined. A myriad of Yusuke doppelgangers crowded the landscape, leaving the mob of fiends confounded and confused. Oddly enough, even the non-sentient guillotines seemed puzzled by the turn of events.

'What the hell am I doing? How am I doing... this? The afterimage thing, I mean. And how am I keeping this up? I can go really fast if I wanted to, but not this fast! It's like I'm everywhere and nowhere at the same time,' Yusuke pondered before regaining control of his bodily functions. That done, he halted his excited pace and hid behind a nearby fallen column. Consequently, his numerous afterimages ceased to exist.

A slight migraine manifested itself inside Yusuke's head as he leaned against the pillar and closed his eyes until it passed. Rookie mistakes! He had been making mistakes in this fight with Rando that he had not made since his first mission as a Spirit Detective. If not for the afterimage technique he so conveniently learned out of the blue, he'd be dead by now. 'What was that strange technique anyway?'

Amidst the enraged howls of the army of beasts, the buzzing sounds of the Spirit Guillotines, his faint headache, and his growing frustration came Kenshin's sultry voice. 'It's the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu's Shinsoku technique, The Divine Speed,' the rurouni explained succinctly.

Yusuke blinked once, twice, then looked vapidly at the darkness before him. 'Oh, I see. Wait. No, I don't! Why? How?' Yusuke mentally stammered. Afterwards, another thought occurred to him. 'Hey! You're talking inside my head! What are you doing in there? Get out of there!'

'Calm down! It's just the Youtou Shinnoken's link to our souls. When we're in sync with each other, our shared bond has the potential to become our greatest asset. We can share our thoughts, emotions, even our experiences with each other. Isn't it great?' Kenshin cheered.

'Yeah, yeah; that's just peachy, Kenshin. So I suppose the mental tele... tele... y'know, the talking-to-each-other-through-our-minds thing... is also part of the oh-so-great powers of the Demon Sword,' Yusuke observed drolly. He contemplatively rubbed his chin. 'Still, that Shinsoku thing we just did was the SHIT! Man, oh man, this is just what I need! C'mon, let's do it again!'

'My pardons, Yusuke-dono, but I believe it's a bad idea to...'

Yusuke mostly ignored Kenshin's polite plea, hollering a savage battle cry as he stood up and wailed on the nearest of the demonic imps. The beasts didn't even stand a chance against his scarlet fury.

'My pardons,' Kenshin telepathically apologized as he unleashed the Kanashibari upon Yusuke, paralyzing him before he could even reach Rando's cocoon-wrapped form.

Kenshin had already used the Kanashibari... a powerful skill used by spirits to hold or bind the bodies of the living... on Yusuke before. It was during the time they first met, when Yusuke was about to finish off Iehog.

"Kenshin! What the hell are you doing? Let go, dammit!" Yusuke protested as several youkai and Spirit Guillotines headed straight for him.

'Relax, Yusuke-dono. Let me show you something,' Kenshin all but cooed as he took hold of the Spirit Detective's body. Yusuke's eyes widened.

'I can feel them. I can feel the presence of every single one of those disgusting monsters and spirit blades,' Yusuke mused as he and Kenshin dodged the concurrent strikes of both demon and razor alike.

'This is the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu's ki-reading technique. By reading the intent of your opponent using his aura, you can easily predict his movements,' Kenshin elucidated affably as he compelled his companion to again hide himself from his countless adversaries.

'HEY! No fair! We were doing so well, too! Why aren't you letting me use your damn Shinsoku on Rando? Look at him, he's as helpless as a baby!' Yusuke expressively protested.

'I believe we must be more subtle with our advances, or else we'll fall right into the pale-faced demon's trap,' Kenshin responded.

'Trap? What trap? We got him where we want him, Kenshin! With your Divine Speed backing me, I can easily plow my way through the demons and the Spirit Guillotines. And once that's done, I can finish off Rando before you can even say 'sitting duck'.'

'No. I can't let you, Yusuke-dono. This is for your own good. You must believe me, it's a...'

"Dammit, Kenshin! Make yourself useful for once!" the ki-less Yusuke couldn't help but exclaim, his temper finally reaching its limit. "You're going to make me lose this fight!"

There was a lengthy pause, followed by the palpable feeling of regret in the air. 'My pardons, Yusuke-dono. I'm sorry for...'

"And stop that already! Jeez. I don't need any of your pardons or apologies. I need action! If you're not going to help me beat Rando, then stay the hell out of my way! It's bad enough that this fight has become a handicap match because of your moralistic bullshit and... and..." Yusuke sputtered the last of his words. '...And your martyr-like behavior.'

'If you won't let me apologize, then at the very least let me make it up to you, Yusuke-dono,' Kenshin pleaded. 'Please, give me another chance.'

Yusuke gulped guiltily as he remembered his rather similar promise to Kenshin. 'I can't let that wimpy samurai get hurt just because I myself have gotten careless. Hell, I can feel his regret all over me. Dammit, it ain't your fault; it's mine. Let me make it up to you, Kenshin,' he had vowed.

Yusuke took a deep, relaxing breath and whispered to Kenshin, "Hey, I never got to say thank you for saving Botan and Keiko's life. So thanks." Sighing, he continued, "Look, I was so intent on finishing... _winning_ this fight against Rando that, well, I acted like an asshole. But you really have to stop apologizing to me, because I should be the one to apologize."

'Yusuke-dono, you really don't have to...!'

"Let me finish," Yusuke cut Kenshin off, which was fast becoming a bad habit of his. "Sorry about that, but please listen. I'm trying to apologize here." He paused. "I'm sorry for being such a jerk and a dick to you all this time. When we first met, we instantly clicked. But once I got to know you, you did kind of irk me with your girly voice and your holier-than-thou attitude. Well, let's not get into that right now. What's important is that we should let bygones be bygones, right?"

Yusuke couldn't see it, but he felt the warmth and relief in Kenshin's hidden smile. 'I'd like that.'

'So what's the plan? We obviously can't hide forever, and Rando's probably half-healed by now. Also, what's going on with your own fight? Genbu's not giving you a hard time, is he?' Yusuke inquired.

'Things could be better,' Kenshin admitted sheepishly. 'In any case, we've both been tricked by our enemies. I've been trying so hard to finish my opponent off as quickly as possible that you've suffered for it, and vice-versa. That's their whole plan. Without daring to attack us directly, they've invited us to destroy ourselves; the technique of self-destruction is indeed a deviously simple but effective maneuver.'

Yusuke cleared his throat and raised an eyebrow. 'Okay. Sure. Fine. So what's the plan?' he reiterated. 'Don't beat around the bush so much. You're starting to sound like Kurama.'

Kenshin briefly wondered about the many parallels he and this 'Kurama' person shared before he carried on, stating, 'I believe it's about time we forced our enemies to take a dose of their own medicine _and_ used the Youtou Shinnoken's bond to our advantage. I beseech you to follow my lead.'

Yusuke shrugged. 'Whatever you say, Kenshin. You're the boss.'

* * *

The feeling of loneliness was a weight that Kenshin carried like a stone set upon his heart. He was no fool; he knew Kaoru Kamiya loved him as much as he loved her, and he knew that she would love him still up until his death; or up until hers. Perhaps even beyond that.

The time that had passed from the day Kenshin bid his farewell to Kaoru up to his present state of affairs were filled with his loneliness. But he felt for quite a long time now that the word "loneliness" was not enough to describe what he was feeling. Not quite enough. Not for what he felt as the stream in his heart that flowed out of a well, the well of loneliness. Loneliness in his spirit. Loneliness in his heart. Loneliness in his mind.

Kaoru probably never understood why he left her, or why he died. There were times when he himself didn't understand why he let things be.

"What comes, comes, what withers, withers, sunlight does not last all day," Kenshin murmured to himself. He had a more important task at hand.

"What was that, samurai? Are you talking to yourself? Have you finally lost it after feeling the true power of my new and improved Bakuretsu-Ganshou-Dan?" Genbu jeered.

"Hardly," Kenshin confessed, much to Genbu's chagrin. "Though you have the potential to become a fairly decent warrior someday, you've wasted it all through your own folly and insecurities. You're about as dangerous as a toothless old tiger in a cage. It's about time you discovered the truth about yourself."

The Shisejyu harrumphed. "You wimpy old ghost; you dare say such things to me? You can barely even _scratch_ me, let alone defeat me. I already have you on the defensive. One more blast of my Bakuretsu-Ganshou-Dan and you, as well as Urameshi, will be history!" he declared defiantly; perhaps a bit too defiantly, as he seemed to say it more out of the need to convince himself than to intimidate Kenshin.

"That's right. I am a ghost. Right now, I'm just a ghost living in this sword. Answer my passion; my sword," Kenshin proclaimed as he fell into his formless stance. "In this battle, there can only be one winner; no more, no less."

"Pretty words, but I have no use for them," Genbu snarled as he melded his deadly tail into the rubble-strewn ground. "After all, poetry and wit never did save anybody's life."

Predictably, Genbu swung his snaking ball-and-chain tail out of Kenshin's line of sight, intending to strike his quarry down from behind. But the blow never hit home.

Kenshin, reacting in kind to Genbu's treacherous strike, faded into nonexistence, reappearing a quarter of a second later behind the holy beast's back.

"Ah. The famous speed I've heard so much about; the one that can cause you to make afterimages of yourself. Both Rando and the Chojin hold you in high regard because of it. But in a contest of speed, I won't be the loser," Genbu asserted as he melded with the ground, appearing behind Kenshin moments later.

"We have the same speed, but I am much stronger. With my whipping tail and iron armor, I can make use of it the most!" Genbu boasted. "Well? What do you think?"

"That's nothing to be proud of," Kenshin remarked in deadpan, dodging yet another one of the Saint Beast's backhanded attacks with relative ease. "Try harder, Genbu-dono."

As Genbu charged in blind rage, Kenshin flipped over the youkai, landing several feet away from him. The swordsman then zigzagged to Genbu's side and swung the Demon Sword at the ground. A devastating and earth-shattering wave soon followed, destroying almost everything in its path.

Well, almost everything. "Stop tickling me. Haven't you learned your lesson yet?" Genbu mocked as he emerged from the thick clouds of dust, virtually unscathed. He heedlessly charged with his ball-and-chain tail, sliding through the debris-filled ground like it was made out of air. "You've run out of options, samurai. Give up."

Kenshin again reacted in kind to Genbu's assault, acrobatically evading all of the tortoise-like monster's advances with his inborn athletic prowess. He executed several more Earth Dragon Flashes at random intervals, directing each and every one of them at his adversary's direction. Of course, this was all just an elaborate ruse.

Once the attack pattern had finally been established, Genbu quickly fell for it hook, line, and sinker. All Kenshin needed to do was to bide his time and pretend to wait for exploitable openings while attacking sporadically. He was going to teach Genbu his long overdue lesson the hard way. The stone golem's self-destruction had finally commenced.

* * *

'Let me get this straight: You want _me_ to punch right through the floor every time you feel like doing that Earth Dragon Flash thingy of yours? Are you kidding me? Do I look like an idiot to you?'

'Please, Yusuke-dono. I can't do this alone. As much as possible, we need to be 'in sync' with each other to win both our battles,' Kenshin explicated, adding, 'Besides, I think your 'audience' seems to be more interested in stripping the flesh off your bones than laughing at you for looking like an idiot.'

Yusuke blinked as he stared at the approaching demon horde in all their guttural glory. 'Hmmm. Good point.' Using Kenshin's Divine Speed, he easily evaded their unwanted advances. 'Well, what do you know? You do have a sense of humor. To think, I had you pegged as the serious type...'

'On the count of three, Yusuke-dono,' Kenshin insisted as he carefully matched his movements with his unwilling accomplice's.

'...And I was apparently right.' The sleek-haired teen grumbled incoherently. "Fine. Let's get this over with. One."

'Two.'

"Here goes nothing," Yusuke muttered, shouting, "THREE!" as he plunged his fist right through the marble pavement. A consequent, bomb-like explosion followed, blinding the nearest of his demonic nemeses with dust and debris.

In the middle of the ensuing chaos, several of the Spirit Guillotines collided with the blinded imps and each other, inadvertently taking themselves out.

"Hey! Will you look at that? It actually worked," Yusuke said as he admired his... and Kenshin's... handiwork. "This 'self-destruction' technique of yours is the bomb. No pun intended."

Yusuke could just about sense Kenshin's sage nod. 'Just keep this up and we'll be rid of both our problems in no time at all.'

'How could I've ever doubted you, Kenshin?' Yusuke stated with delight as he gleefully hurtled himself towards the army of low-level imps, enjoying himself for once.

So the trap had finally been set, and the mindless multitude of imps and razors fell for it hook, line, and sinker. All Yusuke needed to do was bide his time and pretend to flee for his life while attacking evasively and intermittently. He was going to teach Rando his long overdue lesson the hard, 'Himura Kenshin' way. The pale-faced demon's self-destruction had finally commenced.

* * *

Inside his silken safe haven, Rando scowled.

'What's going on? Urameshi was supposed to attack me while I'm still _ helpless_ in my cocoon, but so far he hasn't. Why is that? This is very uncharacteristic of him.'

Rando had already made his move in his and Yusuke's metaphoric chess game, fully expecting his rival to fall for his subterfuge. Instead, the half-demon opted to act very unpredictably, even for him. Granted, the critically-injured demon now had an opportunity to rest his tired and weary body, but still...

Rando telepathically contacted his designated pawn. 'Genbu, what's happening? How is your fight with the guardian of the Demon Sword? Is it going well?'

'R-Rando?' Genbu exclaimed. 'I... W-Well, things couldn't be better!' the holy beast stuttered, failing to reassure both himself and his superior with his diffident words. 'I have the samurai on the run, and...'

Rando's eyes narrowed. 'If things are truly going well, then Urameshi Yusuke should be dead by now. However, the opposite is instead true, is it not?'

'W-Well... Don't be so smug with me, Rando! The fact that Urameshi is still alive is all _your_ fault, not mine. I've done my part. The samurai can't hurt me, but I can hurt him. So what's taking _you_ so long in killing _ your_ prey? What's your excuse?'

'He will die, just as long as you don't bungle things up.' Had Rando spoken the words, they would have been hissed through gnashed and grit teeth, his aching lungs be damned. 'At any rate, I want you to take your battle with the swordsman up a notch.'

'What? Didn't you hear what I just said? I already have him on the run!'

'Of course I heard it. I just don't believe a word of it. You're too much of a buffoon to realize that the samurai has you eating in the palm of his hand. This isn't open to debate. Use everything you've got on him, or else.'

'A-And what about Urameshi? You're not going to lounge around while I do all the hard work, are you? I won't fight two battles at once for you! We had a deal!' Genbu whined and sputtered pathetically.

Rando snorted in disdain as he rolled his eyes, fully remembering Genbu's alleged vow although Genbu himself seemed to have already forgotten.

"No, Rando. You can have the others, but Urameshi is mine," Genbu had boasted, as if he stood a chance against the mazoku descendant.

But they were just words. Genbu could never be anything more than a pawn, Rando surmised to himself. Weak but proud demons like the stone golem disgusted him to no end. What the Chojin said was true. The weak truly were mere fodder for the strong; nothing more.

To the Shisejyu, Rando guaranteed, 'Of course not, my stony friend. I've taken care of everything. All you have to do is kill the samurai by all means necessary.'

'Then consider it done,' Genbu asserted proudly.

* * *

"BAKURETSU-GANSHOU-DAN!" Genbu suddenly roared, catching Kenshin's attention but not necessarily surprising him. Instantaneously, all of the rubble and debris from the swordsman's successive Dou Ryu Sen assaults disintegrated into a maelstrom of dust, creating a veritable sandstorm wave headed towards him.

Kenshin typically evaded the earthen tsunami and the expected follow-up strikes from Genbu's tail before either one could do real damage to him. What he didn't expect were the stalactite-like formations that abruptly appeared in the middle of the dusty sky.

"Ushiro-Bakuretsu-Ganshou-Dan: TETSUZAN KOU!" Genbu chanted in one breath, even though he literally had rocks-for-teeth in his mouth. Kenshin shook his head clear of the Yusuke-like digression as he desperately steered clear of the pseudo-stalactites that fell from the filthy, polluted heavens.

'This is going to be a bit difficult. Unlike the Spirit Guillotines and demonic imps that Yusuke-dono's facing, Genbu-dono's attacks don't have ki-signatures. After all, rocks and rubble don't have any aura in them; they're non-living things!'

"Chou-Bakuretsu-Ganshou-Dan: GENBU NO HOKO!" Genbu shouted as he completed his deadly combo.

Just as Kenshin hastily weaved through the torrent of pointed rocks, the ground underneath his feet buckled, spewing out hundreds of faux stalagmites that flew wildly through the air as though they were trapped in a hurricane. The sheer number of converging fake stalactites and stalagmites was impossible to avoid. The numerous rocks impacted against Kenshin repeatedly, feeling nearly as painful as the flogging Genbu gave him earlier in the bout.

In the face of his ungodly speed and reflexes, Kenshin suffered at least two dozen blows before being laid low. The storm abated just as he hit the ground, fragments of rock littering the length of what was once a pristine shrine foyer. At that point, the only identifiable proof left of the vestibule's previous identity was its rickety Tori Gate.

Kenshin struggled to keep his looming exhaustion at bay. He was in deep pain, but he gave it no mind. He had to soldier on; how else could he show Kaoru... and himself... the true power of the will to live? Even though it wasn't his life... or rather, because it wasn't his life... he must survive at all costs.

* * *

"Ouch. That hurt."

Yusuke thanked his lucky stars for stumbling near one of the dojo's nearby walls, away from all his present dilemmas. He blinked. "Kenshin! Are you all right? What happened to you? It feels like a house fell down on me!"

'Sorry, Yusuke-dono. I slipped up. We've gotten out of sync. Genbu-dono has pulled out all the stops, and I wasn't able to anticipate his moves. Our synchronization is affected by pain, it seems. From now on, we need to concentrate harder to keep our link harmonized.'

Had Yusuke possessed the strength to rise up, exit the dojo, find Kenshin, and punch him on the nose, he would have done so. He instead chose to simply tell the redhead off.

'Hey, Kenshin! Stop fooling around!' Yusuke admonished, putting as much crossness and righteous indignation in his telepathic voice as possible. 'If you had bungled up while I'm in the middle of dodging several dozen demon and spirit blade attacks, then we'd both be in big...'

'Get up, Yusuke-dono. We don't have time for arguments. We should concentrate on the plan instead.'

"Huh? Hey, I'm not yet done telling you off! Screw the plan, I...!"

'No matter what happens, we stick to the plan. Even if it's you who made a mistake, we stick to the plan. Even if we both mess up at the same time, we stick to the plan. Even if either one of us botches a dodge, a jump, an attack, or whatnot, we simply get up, dust ourselves off, and stick to the plan. Understand?'

Yusuke, surprised by the disarming earnestness of his usually polite and fretful companion, nodded in acquiescence. He proceeded to do just what the vagabond spirit instructed him to do: Stick to the plan.

* * *

It wasn't time for apologies or excuses; it was time for action.

Kenshin leapt into the air, drawing his sword back in order to parry Genbu's tail with a vicious chop, when he sensed an attack. He twisted his body into a ball and used one of the more difficult techniques of the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu to change his path in midair. It was more a case of feeling rather than seeing the weighty steel fists flash past him, creating two gigantic craters on the ground with their metal knuckles.

Landing acrobatically on his feet, Kenshin tried to locate the origin of the attack. From the look of anger on Genbu's face, he reckoned that the youkai was ready to use more attacks on him.

'Genbu-dono's now using his whole arsenal of techniques. Just as I've planned; so far, so good.'

With a surprising burst of speed, Kenshin lunged for Genbu. The monster was barely able to deflect the first couple of attacks aimed at his head. The vagabond's speed seemed to double for a moment before he landed a blow to his adversary's side. Genbu winced in either frustration, irritation, or concealed pain.

A couple of moments ago, Kenshin sacrificed trying to counterattack Genbu in favor of gauging the prowess of his foe. He went completely defensive, trying to get an accurate feel of what the Shisejyu was capable of doing while lobbing endless amounts of ineffectual Dragon Earth Flashes towards his quarry. Retreating into a defensive shell, he accepted that the fight would end a lot quicker if he demonstrated some patience. He wasn't as hot-tempered as Yusuke, after all.

Parry. Thrust. Dodge. Jump. Dou Ryu Sen. '...Rinse. Repeat,' Kenshin thought half-jokingly to himself as he followed his pattern of attack methodically. For the most part, he was merely reacting to all of Genbu's aggressive maneuvers.

Even though Kenshin was fairly sure that Genbu would sooner or later recognize the method to his seeming madness, he still went on with his plan. However, he didn't do it out of desperation or pride. The ghost surveyed his surroundings. 'Just a little bit more.'

* * *

Parry. Block. Dodge. Jump. Punch the floor into powder while the demons and razors destroyed themselves in the ensuing chaos. '...Rinse. Repeat,' Yusuke thought to himself in vexation as he followed Kenshin's pattern of attack the best he could. For the most part, he was simply reacting to all his undead and energy-based enemies' forceful assaults.

Yusuke had smashed through the floor so many times that it now resembled the surface of the moon. ''Stick to the plan,' he says. Fuck, what plan? Plan Nine from Outer Space? There is _no_ plan here!'

Doing his best to keep in sync with Kenshin's movements even though he had his own 'personal' demons to handle, Yusuke was just about convinced that the swordsman's solitary confinement for about half a century ago had driven him absolutely insane. 'I'm wasting my time here!'

It was at that moment that a gigantic demon screeched, gaining Yusuke's attention. He mentally chided himself for forgetting about his numerous opponents, even for a moment. He looked up to see that the number of demons and Spirit Guillotines had decreased ever since he started following Kenshin's so-called strategy. 'Huh. Will you look at that? It's working.'

The momentary distraction cost Yusuke as a bright blur came from the darkness at his left. His reflexes were such that he probably could have warded off the attack, but the frightful feeling of miasma he felt earlier came back to haunt him, freezing him into place.

He never felt such power since he fought Yakumo, the God of Meikai. The feeling left him with a terrible sense of apprehension and foreboding.

* * *

Rando knew from the start that he couldn't depend on Genbu to finish the job.

Judging from Genbu's half-hearted lip service about taking care of Urameshi up to his unwillingness to sacrifice himself like the good pawn that he was, Rando concluded that the Shisejyu was useless to him.

The demon with the crimson mane grunted. He finally understood what the Chojin meant when he said, "If you want something done, do it yourself."

'INNER BLOOD TURMOIL!'

He summoned all his remaining blood-ki unto himself, feeling its power sear into his flesh until his blood boiled; it enabled him to gather the remainder of reiki that he absorbed from Yusuke via the Blood Wind.

'IBUKI!'

Rando fell into the Iron Horse stance, his rather stretchable cocoon swathe fully accommodating his posture. Slowly but surely, he summoned up enough chakra to make up for his lack of blood-ki. The chakra and the transmogrified reiki coalesced with his youki to form a veritable hodgepodge of jaki.

"JIGEN TOU!" Rando let out a muffled yet determined shriek, cutting through the silken cocoon... with threads that had the tensile strength of one-hundred and twenty pounds per square millimeter of cross section... like it was made out of thin air.

* * *

**To be Continued...**

_Next: A battle against wretchedness._

The parts where Kenshin was reminiscing and the Genbu self-destruction technique were quoted or paraphrased directly from the manga, particularly during the Kyoto and Jinchu Arc.

_Ja!_  
**Abdiel**


	10. Chapter 9

"Keiko-chan! Keiko-chan, wake up!" Genkai beseeched to Keiko Yukimura while Kuwabara talked to Fujita. "Everything is fine now. It's all over. You're free from Seiryu's grasp. You're going to be okay."

Keiko's eyes fluttered open. "G-Genkai-baasan?" The young girl stared into the night sky blankly, as if she were looking for the twinkle in her glassy eyes amongst the stars themselves. "I can't see anything else except the stars, grandma."

Genkai repeated her reassurances to Keiko, even though she herself had begun to doubt them.

Keiko smiled wanly. "I especially like that bright star twinkling beside the big dipper. It looks pretty."

Genkai's face paled as she swung her head towards the skies and looked at the star Keiko was smiling at: the Harbinger of Death, the legendary bad omen that assured anyone's death within a month of seeing it. 'By Enma Daio's beard, what has Seiryu done?'

Keiko's eyes then slowly closed.

* * *

**Youtou Shinnoken: Demon Sword**

A Yuyu Hakusho/Rurouni Kenshin fic  
by Chester Castañeda

Original concept by Chad Yang

Yusuke's true battle is not with Rando, but with his own inimitable sadness.

_Disclaimer: Yuyu Hakusho is the rightful property of Yoshihiro Togashi, Shueisha, Fuji TV and St. Pierrot. Rurouni Kenshin is the rightful property of Nobuhiro Watsuki and Sony. This disclaimer also covers all the other copyrighted material that are far too many to mention here. Don't sue me please, I'm very poor._

* * *

**Chapter 9: Over the Horizon (Part 3)**

* * *

Before Yusuke could even react, the floor beneath him was split in half care of an incredible, imperceptible force. His blood spilled on the halved ground shortly after.

'A blade that can cut through spaces and dimensions... the Jigen Tou!' Realization dawned upon Yusuke fairly quickly as he looked at the direction where his nemesis supposedly lay. "You never learn, do you? This time, I'll break you in half instead of that sword!" the half-demon hissed before disappearing in the blink of an eye.

'Yusuke-dono, NO! Have you forgotten everything that I've just told you?' Kenshin cried out psychically in alarm, but to no avail. It was too late.

"What? You're doing that again? Urameshi, you're _too_ much," Rando drolly remarked, smirking. He proceeded to swing the Dimension Sword around him repeatedly, leaving streaks of light in the air as he ripped and sliced the hapless half-demon apart from a safe distance.

Yusuke landed in the most pain he'd ever had in his life. Worse than Suzako's electrical shocks. Worse than a punch from a full-powered, hundred-percent Toguro. Worse than the shots he took from Sensui's... actually, "Kazuya's"... Gun. This exquisite agony was beyond anything he'd ever experienced. The fact that he couldn't even summon any reiki to buffer the pain left him in even more pain. He staggered to his feet and looked at Rando contemptuously.

"It looks like I've made you bloodier than before," Rando observed as he surveyed the damage his opponent took. 'I won't take any stupid chances this time. I'll make sure that I'll win. Demons! Dog pile the human scum,' the pale-faced youkai mentally instructed the survivors of the Urameshi massacre. They obediently did as they were told.

Rando pondered, "Hmmm. Should I cut your head off with the Jigen Tou or suck you dry with a Blood Wind used on _your_ blood? Which one, which one? Which technique shall I use to finally be rid of you once and for all?"

"Rando, you spineless son of a bitch; you don't have any guts!" Yusuke raged amidst the numbness and pandemonium that surrounded him.

Ignoring Yusuke's seething words, Rando exclaimed, "I know! I'll use both techniques on you; first the Jigen Tou, then the Blood Wind. It's brilliant, I say! Pure genius." He smiled a wicked, harlequin smile, the edges of his lips seemingly reaching all the way to his eyes. "I told you that I'd win over you _ absolutely_."

* * *

'Yusuke's in big trouble,' Kenshin deduced calmly as his legs buckled underneath him, his blood spilling on the ground. 'It's now time for our counterattack.'

Kenshin had ascertained long ago that while Genbu was unquestionably fast and strong on land, his actual skill level was greatly inferior to his. It was the swordsman's desperation to end the fight... coupled with Yusuke's reckless imprudence... that led to their current debacle. The Shisejyu was merely a pawn to the whiles of a bigger pawn, Rando. 'And Rando, in turn, is the pawn of the true 'King' of this demented chess game: the Chojin.'

After adjusting his tactics to compensate for his opponent's raw physical abilities, Kenshin had found an opening in the Holy Beast's defenses; he could now launch his long awaited counterattack.

Shrugging off the effects of Yusuke's mind-numbing agony, Kenshin darted out of the way of another Bakuretsu-Ganshou-Dan and went for broke into the heart of the devastation.

In a split second, he knew what he had to do. Running with godlike speed, he hit his sword unto the ground and unleashed a furious Dou Ryu Sen maneuver.

"Oh please, _please_ don't use that damn technique on me again. I might die... of boredom," Genbu heckled, unaware of the hell that awaited him.

Kenshin's battle plan was finally complete. The self-destruction technique was carried out at last. By loosening up the ground with his multiple Dou Ryu Sen while leading Genbu towards the center of the desolation, Kenshin had baited his enemy into his unforeseeable trap.

Ironically, it was Genbu who helped Kenshin defeat Genbu. All of the Saint Beast's techniques were based on grinding down the land that surrounded him. The combined powers of the Bakuretsu-Ganshou-Dan and the Dou Ryu Sen were the main factors to what happened next.

The collective weight of crushed earth caved in, collapsing into the focal point of Kenshin's strike. Genbu stood in stunned silence as the ground opened up and swallowed him whole, howling at the last minute as the force of the falling debris overwhelmed him. The rumbling abruptly stopped a minute later.

"Y-Y-You lied, samurai. You said that I had the potential to become a fairly decent warrior. But the truth is, t-that's a steaming p-pile of demon shit. If there w-were such a thing as a Level-E monster, then I'd be it. I'm lower than dirt. Hell, I _am_ dirt." Genbu chuckled hoarsely as he held his inevitable destruction at bay with one last Tetsuzan Kou. Although his body became as large as a house, its unstable foundation started to take its toll on him.

Kenshin wanted to reply to Genbu's pitiful outburst, but he ultimately deemed that there was nothing left for him to say.

'Damn you. Damn you for making me think I'm more than what I truly am. Damn you for making me die a warrior's death, even though a coward like me doesn't deserve it.'

Eventually, the foundations of the Shisejyu's gargantuan mass became so unstable that the gravitational pull of his own weight overcame the quantum boundary, eventually collapsing in on itself in an inimitable vortex of oblivion.

Pure obliteration soon followed as dust filled the air. Tons of earth merged upward then fell down, with nearly a third of the landmass collapsing into an eroding sandpit thanks to Kenshin's desperation move. Much of it fell directly on top of Genbu's crumbling carcass, since that was where the wave of destruction was aimed. Then, when everything was said and done, there was silence. For five long minutes, the dust settled.

Kenshin breathed a sigh of catharsis and a silent prayer for his Shisejyu opponent. To Genbu's credit, their fight ended with a bang instead of a whimper.

* * *

"G-Great! You found K-Keiko-chan!" Kazuma Kuwabara cheered to Genkai as he shook off the remnants of frostbite in his body. He sneezed. 'Damn this cold, and damn Seiryu! I hope he's burning in hell for what he did to all of us, especially to Keiko-chan.'

The curly youth smilingly sighed at Keiko's quiescent form. 'In any case, at least things still worked out in the end like they always do. I'm all right, Genkai-baasan's all right, and Keiko-chan's all right. There's nothing to worry about.'

Kuwabara subsequently blinked at the old woman as she proceeded to kneel down beside Keiko and stare at her. Puzzled, he asked, "Hey. What's up, granny? What're you doing down there?"

Kuwabara's questions were met with grim silence.

'Don't worry so much, granny. She's okay. Look, she's just sleeping.' Kuwabara sniffled, tilting his head and gawking peculiarly at the silly old woman. Honestly, sometimes he simply could not understand what was going on in that head of hers. 'Shit, we don't have time for this. We've got to get out of this dump.'

"C'mon, Genkai-baasan! Let's move Keiko out of this place and into your dojo so she could get well, um, soon," Kuwabara pleaded as he started to extend an arm towards the motionless girl's direction. Genkai hastily slapped the redhead's hand away.

"OW! Hey! What's the matter? Didn't you hear what I just said? We have to...!"

"Take off your clothes," was what Kuwabara heard Genkai say. No, that couldn't be right. She couldn't have said that. Why should she? Perhaps she said, "Take off and go," instead. Truth be told, he'd rather comply with the latter than the former.

Nevertheless, to Kuwabara's vexation, Genkai repeated her dreaded demand after a few seconds. As realization dawned to the stalwart young spirit detective, his heart stopped beating for a full second; it then got caught in his throat as Genkai started to remove her own vest. "Er... pardon?"

"I said take it off and give it to me! Stop making me repeat myself! Are you going to do it or will I do it for you?" Genkai snapped at the younger man, the urgency in her voice quite obvious.

Kuwabara didn't quite know how to reply to that. His face passed through several shades of red, from embarrassed scarlet to a revolted maroon, as he tried his very best to ignore the implication behind Genkai's words.

"I don't have time for this," muttered Genkai as she stood up and pounced on Kuwabara; the two wrestled briefly on the icy ground before the Spirit Wave Master gained the upper hand. She went on to unbutton the young man's coat.

'What in the _blue hell_ is going on?' Kuwabara thought in distress.

* * *

Going in sync with Kenshin at that opportune time, Yusuke mentally shrugged off the effects of his nigh-crippling pain. From there, he shot out of the demonic dog pile like a bat out of hell just as Rando landed his first strike.

Blood was spilled endlessly as one demon after the other was brutally and efficiently sliced to death. Body parts that were as assorted and varied as the menagerie of beasts from which they came from were strewn everywhere. Rando slaughtered all of his minions pitilessly and mercilessly.

"You moron! You killed your own men without even getting a scratch on me!" Yusuke taunted as he made his way to the center of the dojo.

"They'll better serve me this way," Rando explained equably, then declared, "BLOOD WIND!"

The multicolored blood of the deceased demon horde coalesced into a highly compressed and extremely massive maelstrom, far bigger than the earlier Blood Wind. Its suction and velocity were so strong that its gale winds literally crushed everything in its path into powder and dust.

Feeling the intense power that added even more exhaustion to his already fatigued self, Yusuke bit his lip as he resisted getting vacuumed into the wild abyss. Whole chunks of the floor were smashed into bits as hundreds of sharp and small shards of debris whirled around in frenzy care of the tornado headed towards his direction. But it still wasn't nough for Rando.

"SPIRIT GUILLOTINES!" Rando beckoned as he literally shoved all his techniques en masse towards the errant Spirit Detective Leader.

"URAMESHI'S EXPLOSIVE PUNCH TO THE GROUND!" Yusuke countered as he did exactly as he said.

"HA! _That's_ the best you can do against my powerful skills? A stupid punch to the...?" Rando quickly ate his words, and the plaster that came with them, as the unexpected happened. They left a very bitter taste in his mouth.

The wood and concrete foundations of the dojo groaned in unison, the walls sliding away from one another. The unstable ground buckled into itself, creating a sinking pit of doom as it finally gave in to Yusuke's previous exertions.

'The structure's collapsing into itself because of the unstable floor!' the anemic demon noted in distress. Then the walls came tumbling down. Yusuke's last punch was indeed the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back.

Neither the Blood Wind nor the Spirit Guillotines stood a chance against the dojo demolition of epic proportions. The devastation filled the air with tons of plaster falling down and nearly a third of the training hall collapsing unto itself thanks to Yusuke's desperation move. Much of it fell directly on top of Rando, since that was where the wave of destruction was aimed. Then, when everything from above had fallen, there was silence.

For ten long minutes, the dust settled. Then the calm was disrupted again by a resounding boom as a fist disintegrated some of the debris. Slowly, painfully, Rando dragged himself to the surface.

As the demon's head poked into the top of the wreckage, he was shocked to see Yusuke standing over him and waiting patiently. While the boy looked dirty and worn out, he was none the worse for wear.

The Master of a Hundred and One Tactics stared at Yusuke in disbelief. "What? How? What? Dammit, WHAT?"

After pondering for a second whether he should help clear Rando's befuddlement or not, Yusuke ultimately announced, "I think I'll kill you now," and smashed a slab of debris on the youkai's head.

Unfortunately, Yusuke missed. The red, white, and blue blur that blasted off from the pile of wreckage was proof of that. Rando went charging through the temple, blindly hitting and breaking through the rubble and the gingerbread columns.

"Shit! What the hell does it take to kill you, you stupid bastard?" Yusuke cursed as he chased after his demonic foe. Minutes later, Rando went flying through the rubble-filled temple.

Rando flinched as he slowly got up from the ruins, completely exhausted. The demon limped across the trail of crushed and powdered fragments of what was once the floor, a nasty scowl plastered on his face.

"Is this the best that you can do? Surely you can do better."

Surprisingly enough, the voice Rando heard wasn't Yusuke's at all. Instead, it belonged to the one person that he both respected and admired; the last rational and sane being in the entirety of the three worlds.

'Chojin-sama.'

"After all, in this world, the flesh of the weak is the food of the strong. The strong live, the weak die."

'Strength? What a loaded word, master.'

"So what are you? An insect or a god? You decide for yourself."

Slowly, surely, Rando focused his attention to his nemesis; no, his prey. His heartbeat started to gradually rise. 'I will not give up. I will never give up. I have never quit in anything in my life, and I'm not about to start now.'

"You are a god among insects. Never let anyone tell you otherwise." As the Chojin in his mind said those words, Rando let his thoughts turn black. He raised his hand, palm outstretched, as even now he was cloaked in a dark aura. He snarled in an abnormally deep baritone as he struggled to keep his posture straight.

Yusuke gasped in surprise as the youkai suddenly vanished. He had just started to turn around when he heard a soft thump from behind and felt an instantaneous series of taps across his lower back and shoulders.

He tried to react with hooks to his attacker's chest and head, but instead fell when only his body moved, his arms flopping numbly and his legs frozen. He hit the floor left shoulder first with a dull thud.

"KUGAI!" Rando stated proudly after executing his stolen Shaolin Pressure Point Technique.

Before, Yusuke experienced what it was like for his world to explode. This time, he felt it shatter into a thousand pieces, emptied out, and silenced.

At that moment, a thousand pathetic moans and cries of agony echoed inside his asphyxiated mind.

* * *

Kenshin felt something was horribly amiss.

'What...?'

Amber flames of malice and anguish replaced the lavender hue of Kenshin's kindly eyes as a fog gradually gathered around him.

* * *

'I can't believe this is happening,' Kuwabara reflected in alarm, too shocked to move or struggle. 'Maybe if she transformed into her younger form, then it'd be... No! What the hell am I thinking? Shit, she might even transform back into an old crone in the middle of an...!'

Once Genkai got a hold of Kuwabara's upper garments, she got off the flabbergasted teen and headed towards Keiko's direction. She proceeded to gently drape both his and her vests over Keiko's prone form like impromptu blankets.

'Ah. She needed our coats to keep Keiko's body warm. Silly me.' Kuwabara heaved a relieved sigh, his face still beet red. He shielded his topless form with his arms and jibed, "So should I do a little dance number next?"

Predictably, Genkai didn't even dignify Kuwabara's infantile statement with a response. "All right, all right; so you got Keiko-chan all wrapped up and stuff. Can we go _now_, granny? This place is giving me the creeps," he pleaded.

"We can't go back to the dojo," Genkai brusquely replied as she summoned what little ki she had left, gingerly distributing it all over Keiko's body. She grimaced.

"What do you mean we can't go back?" Kuwabara insistently prodded, crossing his arms over his chest indignantly. "That's crazy! How can that not be an option?"

"Yusuke and Himura-san are probably still battling Rando and Genbu at the dojo; we'll be going back to a battlefield. It'd be much safer for us to remain here for the time being."

Kuwabara sighed as he inclined his head and raised an eyebrow at Yusuke's former mentor. "Wait. Hold the Udon. There are more monsters here _other_ than the Shisejyu I've already seen? And who the hell is 'Himura-san'? Also, Rando's still alive? Dammit, that little imp still owes me big time for stealing my precious technique!" he griped mostly to himself.

Responding in kind to Genkai's lack of a response, Kuwabara noiselessly observed the elderly woman's strange antics. His eyes boggled as she started to remove Keiko's uniform, underwear and all. "H-Hey! What the heck are you doing _this time_? Wait...!"

After unceremoniously stripping Keiko naked, the aged martial artist resumed her ministrations. She this time opted to warm the young girl's body up by transferring her own body heat with gentle massages and the occasional warm embrace. Kuwabara couldn't help but stare at the bizarre scene, flabbergasted beyond words.

Genkai continued to knead the sinews in Keiko's back, feeling the muscles loosen beneath her fingertips as she worked. Keiko's breathing grew slower and deeper as the calming massage took effect. 'But still, even now...' Genkai gulped as she wiped the bullets of sweat off of her forehead.

"Have you completely lost your mind? Stop this, granny! This is just... wrong!" Despite himself and his complaints, he hazarded another look at the unclothed young girl.

Keiko seemed perfectly fine. She wasn't reflexively shivering and her complexion was mostly rosy pink and virtually flawless. He felt his own face heat up at his latter assessment... yep, definitely pink.

'So she couldn't possibly be suffering from hyper, um, bulimia or whatever, could she? Frostbite's all about blisters, bluish skin, and endless shivering; Keiko-chan's having none of that. I mean, she looks perfectly healthy! What's with all the touchy-feely grabbing? Either granny's gone senile or she's decided to come out of the closet _now_ of all times.'

Kuwabara's brows furrowed as Genkai again covered Keiko's nude body up with their coats. Soon, to his bewilderment, she began applying Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Rescue Breathing on Keiko's unmoving form.

'CPR? Mouth to mouth? On Keiko-chan? What for? She didn't drown or anything!' Kuwabara bit his lip, wiping his balmy hands on either side of his pants while trying to ignore the fact that, in spite of Genkai's best efforts, Keiko could not be roused from her blissful sleep. 'No. Stop it. STOP IT, YOU CRAZY OLD BITCH! She's fine, dammit.'

* * *

Yusuke's eyes widened in shock; he afterwards blinked at the feeling of a forgotten urgency. He felt that there was something different about himself. He couldn't explain it. Everything was where it was supposed to be, yet at the same time everything just _changed_. His world swirled all around him, merging into utter nonsense.

Yusuke almost couldn't believe what was happening. One moment, he was fighting a good fight against an old foe, and the next moment he was... he was... what?

Where was he? What was happening?

He went into complete panic mode when his mind was unable to register what just happened. To make matters worse, an anesthetizing coldness shocked his system and he felt his whole being start to go numb even as he strove to swim back towards the surface of sanity and consciousness.

Then he thought someone took hold of his hand. He turned his head, and there was a girl beside him, holding him down as though he were lying on a bed and she was merely dropping by to visit him. He tried to look closely at her, but his vision was blurry.

All he could make out was her short, brown hair that floated and flowed all about her lovely face. Yes, he knew she was beautiful even though he couldn't make out her features. He'd never admit it to her, but he knew. She then disappeared, replaced by an emptiness that gripped his very soul.

Deeper and deeper, the impenetrable void pushed him, and because of his lost bearings, his mind began to wander. In time, a fleeting thought visited him, only to be replaced by another one more fleeting than the last. The ideas in his head became desultory, drowned by memories that may or may not be his.

He struggled to breathe, to rouse himself back to reality and awareness, to break through the flat darkness, to make his mind and heart get him there, but his body did not respond. Then, at that very moment, the numbness that permeated in his whole being was shattered by a plethora of...

Coldness. He gnashed his teeth as he felt coldness beyond mere cold. It was as if Death himself embraced him. Through his chattering teeth, he was able to stutter, "W-What is this?"

'K-Kuwabara? This is Kuwabara's pain?' Yusuke belatedly thought as the cold agony made the darkness flash before his eyes. He could feel his longtime rival's presence inside his head, haunting his delusional mind. 'Why am I feeling his pain?'

Yusuke's trembled in searing agony, the pressure of his own injuries too much for his exhausted state to handle. He felt shame and embarrassment for almost fainting like a helpless old woman.

'I feel so weak. I wish... No! Genkai-baasan! _She's_ the one who's feeling helpless, not me! I shouldn't be feeling like this. What the hell is going on?'

Yusuke afterwards heard a maniacal, inhuman laugh as he stared straight into the eyes of lunacy.

'I hate you. I've hated you from the time you've killed me in the Maze Castle up to the time we've spent together in Hell.'

Frustration. Anger. Hatred. Violence. Retribution. Vengeance. All those emotions, Yusuke felt; they besieged him.

'I've hated you even after the Chojin made me go mad with power just to prevent me from murdering you. I hate you so much that I would kill you and revive you repeatedly just to kill you again and again.'

Byakko's last cackle before his body shattered into cold, brittle pieces echoed inside Yusuke's psyche.

The Reikai Tantei struggled long and hard to stabilize his panicked breathing. 'I'm not Byakko. These thoughts aren't mine. Byakko's dead... again... and I'm alive. This isn't what I'm feeling right now. This isn't what I'm supposed to feel. Besides, who did he want to kill again and again anyway?'

As if on cue, pain seared on all four limbs of Yusuke's body while the numerous other injuries on his person vied for his attention. It was pain that wasn't supposed to be there. It was pain that he wasn't supposed to feel because it wasn't his in the first place.

'S-Seiryu...?' Yusuke shuddered in disgust as he felt the Blue Dragon Shisejyu's reptilian presence in him. 'But he's dead! I don't know how or why I know this, but he is! So why am I feeling _his_ pain? Is this suffering coming from his ghost? Why would his ghost continue to suffer?'

Yusuke screamed as he nearly tore his hair out; the emotions that brimmed inside him proved too much for his mind to handle.

Yusuke struggled to remember his present situation, pointedly ignoring the alien pain and anxiety that he felt. Nearly blacking out with the incredible amount of suffering and emotional trauma he was subjected to, he clung to one particular thought: His friends were hurt and Rando must pay.

'I can feel it; I can feel their pain; all their pain. Kenshin's. Genkai's. Kuwabara's. The Shisejyu's. Dammit, Rando, what have you done to me?'

He subsequently remembered something he felt he shouldn't be remembering because it was an event that never happened to him. He had been replaying in his mind a memory that didn't belong to him over and over. He recalled and forgot about it repeatedly, up until the point where he now realized what it meant. He hated himself for realizing its meaning.

As comprehension dawned to him, he wished that the recurring images would stop. But they never did. They kept on playing continually, mercilessly, up until all that was left of his mind was madness.

"No."

* * *

_"Botan! Yusuke!" Keiko shouted in panic before coughing hoarsely. She covered her eyes and ears reflexively as noise and dust assaulted her senses. As far as she could tell, she was floating off the ground in unknown heights by a dusty hurricane of sorts. She prayed that somehow, somewhere, 'that idiot Yusuke' was safe before she altogether lost her bearings._

_Then, as soon as the earthy tempest started, it stopped. She opened her eyes tentatively as she patted the ground with her hands; the solid ground. She exhaled a sigh of relief as she sat up and further surveyed her surroundings. It seemed that she was on a cliff of some sort, probably on the other side of the mountain. She wasn't completely sure. _

_The teenage girl looked up the sky and saw the beautiful, sparkling star just beside the big dipper once more, her round face illuminated by the pale moonlight. She afterwards felt a heavy hand on her shoulder. "Y-Yusuke?" she queried hopefully as she looked over her shoulder. _

_She noticed that the hand felt deathly cold; colder than a winter gale. _

_Before Keiko could shriek in panic, time stopped for her altogether. The bad omen known as the "Harbinger of Death" star had taken yet another victim._

* * *

From there, Yusuke's condition progressively worsened. He obviously 'spoke' too soon in regards to his previous thoughts of landing in the most pain he'd ever had in his life. Compared to what he was feeling now, his earlier pain felt more like a needle prick.

Sometimes, Yusuke realized, even the worst expectations were optimistic.

* * *

"Wake up, dammit, wake up!" Genkai berated Keiko in futility as she did her best to resuscitate her.

Kuwabara was taken aback by the old woman's show of extreme anxiety. Finding his voice, he finally managed to protest, "Stop that, granny! Keiko's fine, isn't she?" There was a pause. "Well, isn't she?"

"I'm not sure."

"Hey, hey! Stop your joking. You're scaring me," Kuwabara berated, more in reassurance to himself than to Genkai. "She's still breathing, see? I mean, Officer Fujita had already taken care of Seiryu, so the spell or whatever that the damn Shisejyu cast on her should have vanished by now, right?"

"No," came Genkai's terse reply. "Even with Seiryu's death, the 'spell' didn't dissipate at all. I'm afraid that it might actually have done some permanent damage to Keiko."

For the second time that day, Kuwabara's heart stopped pounding for one full second as he held his breath in terror. "Oh my god. Seiryu, you bastard. What have you done?"

Genkai exhaled audibly, her brow furrowed in thought. 'If only I still had enough energy in me, then I'd be able to do a Rei Handou on Keiko; who cares if it might not work? But even that small comfort is out of my reach.' She cursed under her breath.

"What now, granny? What the hell do we do now?" Kuwabara demanded, almost pleaded.

"What comes, comes, what withers, withers, sunlight does not last all day," Genkai whispered after a drawn out sigh.

Following a rather lengthy pause, Kuwabara growled. "There must be a way. There's always another way."

"That's enough, Kuwa..."

"FUCK THAT! Don't say another word if you're just going to spew out the same old bullshit." Kuwabara took up a defiant, truculent stance as he glared at the smaller Genkai. "What comes, comes? What withers, withers? We're not talking about pansies here! What sort of a lame excuse for a saying is that? That's fucked up. Since when did you turn into such a whiny quitter?" he accused.

Genkai lowered her head, her lips pursed and her eyes downtrodden. She didn't notice how taken aback Kuwabara was with her reaction. "You don't understand."

"There's _nothing_ to understand! If Urameshi heard you talk like that, he'd hit you so hard you'd lose the taste in your mouth. What's the matter with you, Genkai-baasan? Don't worry so much. There's only one solution to this problem, and only I have the guts to do it and make it happen."

Turning towards Kuwabara, Genkai's lips tightened as she spoke. "What are you talking about, boy? What solution?"

Kuwabara adamantly stared eye-to-eye at the equally defiant Genkai. "My final solution. I'm going to use all of my soul's ki to rouse Keiko-chan up from her deep sleep."

Genkai exclaimed, "Fool! You don't even have enough spirit energy left for yourself! You'll die if you try to give away any more of it!"

"Don't you think I already know that? It doesn't matter to me! What matters is that when Urameshi sees Keiko-chan again, she'll be alive and well! I already did this before when Urameshi nearly died in the Maze Castle. Who _cares_ if it'll kill me this time? I'll be glad to kick the bucket! Dying in order to save Keiko-chan's life is a fucking good way to die! It's the way a real man would die."

"You don't understand, you buffoon! It doesn't work that way. Your self-indulgent martyrdom is misplaced; it's too late."

"W-What do you mean?"

"She might already be comatose, or worse." Kuwabara looked at Genkai with bated breath as the old woman let her pensive, cutting words linger in the air. "She may be far too gone. Even a full ki-transfer may not be enough to wake her up. Even the Rei Handou..."

Kuwabara fell to his knees, his eyes staring sightlessly at the ground. "No. It can't be. It doesn't usually end this way. The girl should always be rescued by the main good guy or one of his buddies. The girl should always come out safe and sound after the fight. That's how it has always been. They're not following the fucking script, dammit."

Genkai exhaled ponderously. Even she could not believe the awful truth behind her fatal diagnosis. Keiko's in a coma; the dreamless, living death. The old woman looked away, unwilling to behold the doll-like face of Keiko anymore.

It didn't make things any easier. Genkai had had so much... she had _been_ so much... and what was she now? An old, old woman who had seen too much, lived too long, and was tired of it all.

'So much for having a nice and hopeful sentiment, huh?' Genkai snorted miserably. It wasn't even about her in the first place. Why must she still be there? What was the point of her being there? Why must Death take someone so young and let someone of her age survive? It didn't make any sense to her at all; not at all.

* * *

"I'll be your Angel of Mercy for today. I'll make sure your death is swift and painless. After all, I believe that you've gone through enough suffering already," Rando outright lied to the catatonic Yusuke.

"Now, you should listen to this, because it concerns you. To tell you the truth, I'm quite proud of what the Kugai can do to a person. Those crazy Shaolin monks sure knew how to make a technique!" the pale-faced demon conversationally chattered, eyeing Yusuke's reaction... or lack thereof. He knew that the spirit detective could still hear him at that point.

"The Kugai was originally a technique of meditation used by the monks to, well, 'intercept' and 'collect' the pains and woes of the world unto themselves, so that they could understand the concept of karma better."

The youkai cackled. "Actually, your bond with the samurai was the very thing that gave me the idea to use my specialized pressure point technique. It was designed specifically to make its victim unite emphatically with everyone that he or she had ever interacted with; friends, family, enemies, and especially loved ones. You are now experiencing every kind of woe, problem, and pain that they experience: every last emotional, physical, and even psychological pain. It's all in there, in your head."

Rando smiled a sick and demented smile. "So what are you going to do when the weight of the entire world is thrust upon you, Urameshi Yusuke?"

Yusuke had only one answer to that. 'Who gives a fuck about the world? What about Keiko?'

Yusuke's eyes widened in incredulity. 'Keiko. I felt it. I felt Keiko's suffering. She's now as good as dead. So it _is_ true... No. No, it's not. It can't be. It just can't.' His body trembled. 'But I'm feeling her pain now. All she really wants is for the pain to stop, and to stop the pain she has to... has to... No.' He fought back the tears. 'I won't allow it! But she's in so much... NO!'

Not at all caring whether or not Yusuke understood a word he was saying at that point, Rando looked contemptuously at his piteous captive and taunted, "Give up, Urameshi. Give up and die within your pitiful shell of a body."

The demon continued. "Just who do you think you are, thinking that you can step on everything I've worked so hard to achieve? I'm taking back everything you've deprived me of, starting with your life!"

Images began to flood the mindless Yusuke: familiar, yet also beyond the comprehension of his slowly degenerating, half-demonic mind. Sights and sounds became blurs of incomprehensibility. It was as if he was staring into the depths of lunacy itself, his mind shielding itself from awareness lest the truth of the matter destroyed his sanity beyond repair.

In Yusuke's mind, green colorless dreams slept furiously.

* * *

Keiko came in like a lion, and out like a lamb. Instinct, not reason, guided her to where she was supposed to go. She was surrounded by visions of Eden and Tartarus; of reprieve and strain; of assuredness and uncertainty. She understood nothing of what she saw.

Nevertheless, she still felt it; even though her surroundings were that of paradise and prison, the very personification of the cycle of rebirth, she still felt deathly uneasy. It was still there, her forgotten urgency, nagging her in the gut and very much apparent. It confounded her.

Albeit her current sense of duty to travel the road before her, she still felt that something was missing. In the corner of her mind, the nagging sensation was very plain.

Was it a forgotten task? Just how significant was it? This quiet urgency could even be a who instead of a what; a faceless, nameless man, perhaps? These were the questions that formed inside her head which she couldn't air out. It seemed far too silly and trivial to entertain; and talking to herself would make her look utterly ridiculous to boot.

After all, she was in the midst of doing a far more important mission. All else was secondary to that task of hers. She had already gotten to a point of no return, so it was time to for her to cross the supposed bridge. There was no turning back now.

However, questions and queries still formed at the back of her head, insistently swimming up to the surface of her mind in droves.

'Since when did _whatever_ become a _mission _of mine? Besides, what am I supposed to do? Where am I supposed to go?' she idly wondered to herself as she started her inevitable journey.

'If what I'm forgetting is a 'someone', then who could it be? Will he help me make sense of everything? Or will everything make sense after I remember him? I hope, for my sake, that remembering him is a _good_ thing.' Keiko started to feel nostalgia as the scenery slowly changed into something that was far more familiar.

Keiko traversed the road so impulsively that she didn't need to confirm where it led. It was as if she knew beforehand where she was going. After an extensive hike across a strangely quiet cityscape, she finally arrived to where she was supposed to be.

Her eyes widened as a memory flickered in the haze of her mind.

'Yusuke...!'

So she stood there frozen in front of the apartment where Yusuke Urameshi and his mother lived, biting her nails as her heart raced.

"Oh my gosh! It's almost twelve o'clock!" she blurted out to herself as the repressed memory in her mind made itself known. Yusuke was dead; he died in a car accident while trying to save a young boy's life. Somehow, through some miracle, he had another chance to live again. She couldn't fully explain how she knew this, but all the ghostly clues that had been occurring around her point to one thing: at that time, only she had the power to bring Yusuke back to life.

She saw it in a dream, actually; she was supposed to kiss Yusuke before the stroke of midnight to revive him or else she'll lose him forever. Simple enough, right? Keiko blushed at the thought. Needless to say, her planned course of action embarrassed her a lot. The implications of kissing Yusuke, of all people, made blood rush to her head. She felt all lightheaded and dizzy just thinking about it.

'...Only I have the power to bring Yusuke back to life. If I don't do it, I'll lose him forever.'

She didn't have the time to think. She didn't have the time to be embarrassed. She will not lose Yusuke Urameshi for a second time. No way. She hastily grasped the keys in her shirt's pocket and opened the locked door of the Urameshi Apartment. She glanced at her watch. Eleven Fifty-Seven. There wasn't much time left.

She quickly wondered whether or not she should enter the house without taking off her shoes to save time before taking them off anyway. She silently berated herself for her moment of hesitation as she sauntered awkwardly towards the stairs. Eleven Fifty-Nine.

She almost stumbled as she reached the top of the stairs, her breath barely catching up to the rapid beats of her heart. Was she going to make it? Or would she fail miserably? She didn't have time to hesitate now. Failure was not an option. She practically lunged towards Yusuke's still but strangely luminescent body. She closed her eyes as her parted lips tenderly touched Yusuke's warm mouth, her tears spilling over her cheeks. Twelve Midnight.

At that very moment, she had another epiphany. This had already happened before. Her kiss had indeed revived Yusuke, and he went on to become a Detective of the Spirit World. In fact, since that fateful day, Yusuke had died and revived himself at least one more time. What she was experiencing now was just a memory, a fantasy, and a mere illusion. Sure enough, as she opened her eyes, the doppelganger Yusuke was nowhere to be found. In fact, she wasn't even inside Yusuke's room anymore.

"Where...?" she started, and then choked as her mouth filled with water. It was only then that she felt the cool, wet pressure of it against her skin and her open eyes; felt the mild currents flowing around her, lifting and tugging at her clothes and her auburn hair.

* * *

_The memories flashed through Yusuke's mind mercilessly._

_He saw himself tear apart the landscape of the Ankoku Bujutsukai's stadium with a flash of his phoenix-like ki as he battled against Toguro the Younger... Hiei... Shinobu Sensui... Yomi... It didn't matter who the opponent was, he still remembered that intoxicating power. _

_His senses were so razor sharp, like they were now, that he could see the world around him without using his eyes. Even when he changed back into human form, time and again, his body remembered the feeling of being a mazoku. It recognized the transformation for what it was because of all the locked memories of the nightmarish day he spent as a demonic spawn from hell._

_Yusuke paused as the significance of that memory struck him to the very core of his being. The mazoku was still inside him and still a part of him even when he wasn't under its influence._

_He also remembered himself as he aimed his pointer finger straight at a beat-up and bruised Sensui. He had felt the untamed fury and the rush of energy as his Rei-Gan blasted and cooked the former spirit detective alive. He had trembled in frustration as he blasted Yomi's shield with his demonic You-Gan as his human side and demon side literally waged a war in the depths of his subconscious before they combined into one. _

_He remembered._

_He remembered the time when his ancestor Raizen possessed him. More importantly, he also remembered the time when he transformed into a mazoku in the middle of his epic fight with Yomi._

_One last nagging memory entered the young man's throbbing head. He vaguely remembered the last words Rando said before he drifted into a waking sleep. 'Just who do you think you are?' the demon had asked. _

_A shock of realization rippled through him; his entire self, human and demon soul alike._

_He remembered it all._

_The mazoku had been a part of him for years. The symbiotic and demonic aspect of his soul existed within him, even when it wasn't controlling him._

_'That's it. That's my answer.'_

_The bloodline of warlords_... _the millennia-old heritage that Yusuke was a part of_... _pulsated to new life. Yusuke grinned as shades of malice danced within his ebony eyes. 'This is who I truly am.' _

_Yusuke awoke._

* * *

Just as Rando moved to charge forward with one final, deadly strike to his unresponsive opponent, he cocked an ear suddenly. There was a faint humming sound coming from somewhere.

'What is that?' he thought to himself in confusion.

The humming sound was louder now; a deep, bass drone. It had been building for some time, but so gradually that he hadn't noticed it until almost too late. A faint breeze from out of nowhere entered the busted-up dojo, stirring the dust around the surrounding wreckage. Then, suddenly, Rando determined its origin; it was the sound of choleric tendrils of youki merging and clashing like the waves of the ocean. The breeze intensified into a stone cold gale as the demon-ki flared even stronger.

The demonic energy belonged to Yusuke, Rando realized.

The tattooed demon's pale face drained even further of color when he finally saw Yusuke's answer to his question.

'Who do you think you are?'

"This is who I truly am."

"What are you babbling about?" Rando demanded in a shrill, panicked voice.

"I'm saying that I'm a devil who dreamt he was a man and loved it, but now that dream is over and the devil is awake."

Suspicious, Rando sputtered, "W-Wait. So you think that you're the devil that's going to change me? No, _I'm_ the devil that's going to change _ you_."

Yusuke grinned. "But you have changed me. See me change before your very eyes."

Rousing his centuries-old mazoku genes from their dormant slumber, Yusuke metamorphosed into his full demonic form. Ink-black markings surrounded his body as his hair grew to about ankle-length. As Rando's horror continued to mount, so did Toushin Yusuke's speed, dexterity, and incredible tolerance to pain.

"His mazoku self has awakened," Rando murmured in near terror. His eyes then narrowed as his mouth formed into a sneer. "Humph. So what? This doesn't change a thing! Not at all!"

Yusuke snorted derisively. "You're right. Now, like before and forever more, you don't stand a chance. You never did."

After all that dialogue, five seconds of the hottest flames anyone present had ever witnessed reduced the surrounding ruins and fragments to cinders.

"ZANKUU RETSU JIN!" Rando screamed as he summoned both chakra and youki into his frayed form, releasing the chaotic mix of energy from his bloodied hands. An explosion of thunder and pressure quickly followed.

Toushin Yusuke grinned maniacally as he dusted himself off. 'I smell like a barbecue gone wrong. Oh well. No matter.' He chuckled merrily. He had some fresh game to hunt for tonight.

Rando gulped as he sensed his half-demon adversary's stare all over him. Apparently... and ironically... the Kugai had somehow activated Yusuke's mazoku blood, making him stronger than ever before. Also, it was quite obvious that petty little parlor tricks like the Zankuu Retsu Jin just wouldn't cut it anymore.

The redheaded demon harrumphed in frustration despite his growing dread. 'It doesn't even matter that Yusuke had lost all his reiki earlier now that his body is filled with mazoku _youki_.' He knew that he had to think of something _fast_ if he wished to survive this encounter.

The half-demon noted that things were different when he was a mazoku. He didn't have to worry about certain things. He was bigger, stronger, faster; but that was only the beginning of it.

All his senses seemed sharper. Before, the hint of a breeze originating from the torn wooden walls of the dojo on his face, his arms, and his bare chest had been almost imperceptible. Now, it was like a caress, cool and invigorating. The air seemed alive with smells; delicate, sharp, sweet, pungent, smoky, exotic, faint, overpowering, and tantalizing. His hearing seemed magnified; he could hear Genbu and Kenshin speaking outside almost as clearly as if he were standing next to them.

And where he had been cringing nervously on the floor before, whining continuously about Keiko's dilemma, now he strode upright with a steady gait, perfectly balanced, his arms hanging by his side. He never felt so _alive_ in all his whole life.

"Throw me everything you've got, demon. It won't matter. The only thing that matters now is that you are my game. Entertain me, or I'll make you wish you're dead," Toushin Yusuke crooned with a deceptively velvety tone, his booming laughter echoing inside the remnants of the dojo walls.

"I have not allowed myself to be resurrected just for your amusement, you half-demon bastard!" Rando spat as he warily circled his foe while his mind raced for the perfect battle plan. 'What would the Chojin do in this sort of situation?'

"Then die, for that's all you're worth to me." Yusuke slipped into an offensive stance, his arms outstretched and ready. Rando altered his posture in kind, shifting his legs just a bit wider. The mazoku descendant noted the change in weight, recognizing the stance as one that his mentor Genkai had taught him years ago. It worked best when your opponent didn't appreciate your skill, as it offered a range of movement for more complex maneuvers, but very little in the way of more simple tactics.

'Even now, you still want to fight. I can almost admire your foolhardy resolve. More is the pity.' Yusuke smirked. This fight didn't feel like a fight to him. It was more like an impending massacre; the dance of predator and prey. 'What are you planning to do now, Rando? What sort of complex maneuver will you use against me?'

The Iron Body technique was one of the many techniques of the Byakko's Claw. These techniques were so impressive that, by order of the Chojin, Rando passed it on to another 'Byakko' of sorts: the White Tiger of the Four Holy Beasts, the Shisejyu Byakko.

In so saying, it was in fact Rando, not Byakko, who first mastered the many techniques of the Byakko's Claw after nearly a century; and he was now about to show his mazoku opponent what a master-level Kaiwan looked like.

* * *

Meanwhile, on Iehog's wide shoulders, a deeply slumbering Botan stirred. She knew... or rather, _felt_... that Keiko had finally arrived at the River Styx. Therefore, she decided that she should be the one who must guide Keiko's soul across the river of the dead.

Fully aware that she was still fast asleep, Botan's spirit left the Human World and its physical body behind to fly towards the Spirit World. She didn't quite know how long her Astral Projection would last, but she didn't particularly care. She only had one thought in mind; to get to Keiko's ghost before it was too late.

Botan knew exactly where Keiko was supposed to go; she herself had gone through the same place before becoming a ferry-girl.

"Hang on, Keiko-chan. I'm coming to get you," Botan promised as she summoned her oar and traveled frantically towards the unmentioned destination.

* * *

**To be Continued...**

_Next: The Mazoku has come._

I've again used various quotes taken from pop culture in this fic. The "god among insects" thing is taken from the second X-Men movie, X2. The "devil changes you" quote comes from the 8MM movie. The "devil is awake" remark is based from a quote from Franz Kafka's "The Metamorphosis". The "green colorless dreams slept furiously" paraphrase (it's actually "colorless green ideas", but whatever) is an example of a grammatically correct nonsense phrase coined by famed linguist Noam Chomsky.

_Ja!_  
**Abdiel**


	11. Chapter 10

**Youtou Shinnoken: Demon Sword**

A Yuyu Hakusho/Rurouni Kenshin fic  
by Chester Castañeda

Original concept by Chad Yang

The Battousai has finally awakened after Yusuke descended into the abyss of his mazoku self.

_Disclaimer: Yuyu Hakusho is the rightful property of Yoshihiro Togashi, Shueisha, Fuji TV and St. Pierrot. Rurouni Kenshin is the rightful property of Nobuhiro Watsuki and Sony. This disclaimer also covers all the other copyrighted material that are far too many to mention here. Don't sue me please, I'm very poor._

* * *

**Chapter 10: Over the Horizon (Part 4)**

* * *

The nimbus clouds danced overhead, and the newly awakened Battousai wondered if it would soon be cold enough for snow. He seemed strangely compelled to see snow again. He loved watching it decorate the ground with a blanket of white that buried everything under a shroud of pristine innocence. He was just deluding himself, of course; the dirty, nasty things were still hidden underneath the immaculate veil the same way his Battousai self was lurking behind the mask of the bungling rurouni.

Unbidden, a bright-red spot of blood appeared on top of Battousai's imaginary snow. From there, a vision of a dying Tomoe assailed his mind, and for a second, his resolve almost faded and his grip on the Youtou Shinnoken gradually loosened. However, thoughts of his other lost love... Kaoru Kamiya... filled him with a glimmer of hope. He tightened his grip on the Demon Sword's handle; he was ready to fight once more.

The former hitokiri and youkiri stared at the approaching mass of mist and fog in grim silence. Eventually, _it_ appeared; the slender yet intimidating form of a wolf the size of a monument, its golden eyes glowing amidst the cloak of darkness. Beneath the creature stood Goro Fujita, his lips curled with droll anticipation.

"Saito Hajime. You do know how to make an entrance," Battousai stated humorlessly as he fell into his preferred battoujutsu stance.

"It's been a while, Himura Battousai. It looks like I won't be bored after all." Fujita's mild amusement at finding his prey after many years of hunting and stalking quickly evaporated. "You sure took your sweet time fighting small fry, as always. Fortunately, your Battousai self has awakened just as I've arrived. That should give you an extra five minutes to live before I skewer you apart."

'You're as creepy as ever before, Saito Hajime. You always turn into this emotionless killing machine whenever you end up in a fight to the death. Even still, I see you've become stronger than when I saw you last. Granted, it's been a lifetime ago, but still, the energy you're exuding right now is beyond that of kenki. It's beyond anything human, actually.'

Fujita's unblinking eyes were clearly pointed at Battousai, the thin man's piercing gaze seeming to bore right through him. The ex-shinigami returned with a stare of his own, fire for ice, but the policeman didn't even blink in acknowledgment. A stalemate of sorts, or so the swordsman ghost hoped.

Fujita moved towards the place where a large Tori Gate once stood, walking casually onto the grounds devastated by Battousai's earlier bout. He subsequently stopped just five yards short of his quarry's current position.

Battousai exhaled lengthily. He saw mist rise from his mouth. The temperature around him dropped considerably, and he hadn't even realized it, distracted as he was with the policeman's presence. "I never saw you before since Kyoto," he pointed out to Fujita.

"Yes, you have," Fujita corrected. "You merely didn't recognize me. I was around you all the time, your faithful companion, and you became so accustomed to my presence that you didn't make an effort to look closer. I was always there. A lot of time has passed since we last met, and you are no longer unaware of what I am. My return after so long has opened your eyes. You can now see me before you."

"How quaint. So you've been stalking me all this time?" Battousai supposed, his gaze never leaving Fujita's.

Fujita spoke again using empty words that once held some meaning but were now lost to his unfeeling heartlessness. "You have brought many into Death's cold embrace in times past far more than most. People who are constantly surrounded by death and who ushered death unto others can occasionally feel and know it for what it really is."

"Just what are you getting at? Are you claiming to be my death?" Battousai straightforwardly asked, maybe even challenged.

"Don't be silly. Death had already come for you long ago. And yet, here you are still; dead, yet alive. From what I've heard, you yourself continue to be the Harbinger of Death to many a demon for more than a century. Perhaps you can become my death as well?" Fujita told him.

"Why do you seek death now of all times, after you've evaded it for so long? What exactly happened to you after all these years, Saito Hajime? I've heard rumors, but I never expected any of them to be true." Moving back, needing a moment to summon his strength, Battousai locked his icy gaze with Fujita's. "So tell me, have you really sold your soul to the devil to obtain immortality? Have you gone all the way to the Demon World just to gain the secret to eternal youth and life? Have you become a demon yourself?"

Fujita huffed mockingly. "That's utter nonsense. Open your eyes first before you make such outlandish accusations. Just who do you think I am?"

It was more a statement than a question. There was no emotion in his baritone voice; it was nothing more than a subtle proclamation of an inherent fact. His voice was as lacking of emotion as the face it belonged to. It held a hint of inescapability, and the full implications of what Battousai was about to do immediately settled in. He supposed his whole line of question was somewhat foolish and ill-conceived, but something in him insisted he do this and stop the unstoppable.

After another deep breath, the fog rose slightly above Battousai's glinting eyes before dissipating. Indeed, it was about to snow now. Subsequently, realization struck Battousai as hard as one of Sanosuke's dual extreme punches to the face. 'Is this man really Saito Hajime, or someone else entirely? Who is he really?' After a seeming eternity... which was less than a dozen minutes... Fujita finally approached, paused, and fell into his proverbial Gatotsu posture.

Battousai stepped forward, meeting the unspoken challenge, if it could be considered that. "Maybe I really don't know who you are now, or what you've become. If that's the case, then it's about time we got reacquainted with each other."

"I thought you'd never ask. GATOTSU ISHIKI!" the Wolf of Mibu roared mightily and charged straight towards Battousai with his deceptively simple yet effective stabbing attack.

"SOU RYU SEN!" The Double Dragon Flash was a very tricky move to pull off. A large amount of concentration and kenki was needed to make it work. As luck would have it, even though his Youtou Shinnoken missed, its sheath hit Fujita's sword arm right on target, bending it in an odd angle.

'That's it? After a hundred years of waiting, this is how our legendary feud ends?' Battousai frowned in displeasure. "Get up, Saito. It would be disappointing to end our battle like this after so long."

Fujita smirked as he picked himself up and clutched his bent arm. He afterwards straightened and popped its dislocated bones back into place, all the while savoring the heartrending pain the action caused. Donning his poker face once more, he contemptuously asked, "Have your senses dulled that much? Stop making a fool out of yourself. Before you brag, check yourself out. Have you noticed anything different, Battousai?"

A second passed, followed by a minute. Horror struck the ex-hitokiri's features as he gradually put two and two together, working out what had really happened in the opening moments of his bout with Fujita.

Kenshin looked numbly at his wounded and bloodied abdomen in growing trepidation. This was one of the few times that he actually _wanted_ to be in his ghostly form; after all, spirits didn't get physically injured very often.

He eyed Fujita's katana warily as it shone a crimson shine. He collapsed a second later as he felt Yusuke's pain synchronize with his own in a cacophony of orchestral misery. The gut-wrenching pain of getting stabbed and having your insides battered simultaneously assailed the swordsman ghost's senses.

"The old Battousai would never have let that quick stab get him. Even though you've gained some of your killer instincts back through your bond with the half-demon boy, it's still not..."

Battousai then felt the aforementioned half-demon boy's instantaneous recovery coincide with his own. Instinctively, he disappeared right in the middle of Fujita's gibbering diatribe. Blurring into action, the redhead flew forward into the darkness, and was rewarded an instant later with the soft feeling of unyielding flesh on the edge of his sword.

* * *

Rando had hoped his version of the Kaiwan and his various other stolen techniques were enough to, at the very least, slow Yusuke Urameshi's Toushin form down. Alas, all they did was help him survive against fighting a true S-Level Warrior. He could barely even nick, much less injure, the teenaged human-demon hybrid.

Rando had nearly used up half of his arsenal of skills on Yusuke, yet the mazoku still kept coming back for more. The demon was simply outclassed in every way possible. He didn't give a damn about that, though.

The raven-haired demon spawn darted inside the invisible spiraling vortex head on, bloodying himself in the process, and drilled his target with clean hundred-shot volleys, one after the other. He then jumped on top of Rando and started delivering alternating left and right punches to the demon's face.

Rando reckoned that it was now time to finish the battle before it became a replay of the earlier portion of the fight. As he made his now-worthless Kaiwan disappear all of a sudden, he exclaimed, "Stand STILL!" and used Jine's Shin no Ippou on his quarry.

During that short moment where Urameshi's muscles were frozen stiff, Rando used his speed to move in for the kill, his fingers ready to execute a lethal ten-hit pressure point combo with laser-like precision.

"HAKKEI!" Powering his strikes with focused nen particles, Rando made quick work out of the half-breed. The mazoku didn't even know what hit him as he stared upwards into nothingness, crumpling to the ground. Concurrently, Yusuke felt Kenshin's pain harmonize with his own in a dissonance of suffering. The gut-wrenching pain of having your insides battered and getting stabbed simultaneously assailed the half-demon's senses.

Soon after, Yusuke's sightless, glassy eyes regained their vibrancy as he clapped appreciatively at his foe's latest offensive. "Wow. Bravo. That 'Hakkei' of yours was just... incredible! My insides would have surely turned into jelly had I not locked my reserve Sei Kou Ki inside my body. Tough luck, but nice try."

* * *

"RYU SOU SEN!"

Fujita's blood was sprayed all over the landscape a moment later.

"G-GATOTSU NISHIKI!" a wounded Fujita bellowed as he struck forward with the second form of his Gatotsu a split second later, its wider range of attack enabling him to deflect the rest of the Hitokiri Battousai's powerful strikes. His blade crashed hard against the Youtou Shinnoken as he diverted its path away from his person. The hitokiri countered this by using the resulting recoil to catapult himself up into the stormy skies.

"RYU TSUI...!"

As expected, Fujita sunk his stance low and then charged upward to meet the redhead's aerial strike, making full use of the Gatotsu Sanshiki's forty-five degree angle strike. He expected Battousai to, at most, twist his torso to avoid gravity-assisted impalement. He certainly didn't expect what happened next.

"...KAN SEN, ARASHI!"

The Dragon Hammer Flash was merely a setup for the storm version of Battousai's Ryu Kan Sen. The complicated maneuver made him tumble from front to back, forming a spiral not unlike the eye of a hurricane. The revolving sword strike scored some deep gashes and contusions on Fujita's neck, shoulder, and head, stunning him briefly.

"RYU KAN SOU SEN!"

Just as soon as he landed, Battousai became an incessant whirling dervish, swinging numerous sweeping arcs at his target with clockwork precision. 'This is just like the combination attacks he had used against Shishio!' was what Fujita deduced from his attacker's fluid segue from one technique to another.

The gaunt officer stabbed several Gatostu Nishiki at the approaching strikes, hoping that his dual attack-and-defense posture would somehow find an opening in Battousai's ostensibly unstoppable assault. After a few metallic clangs, the Wolf of Mibu decided to try a different tactic.

"GATOTSU ZERO..." Just short of executing his critical pointblank stabbing technique, Fujita pumped his long legs forward with a Gatotsu "ISHIKI!" fully parodying Battousai's recent combo attacks. The added thrust of the cancelled Zeroshiki gave his Ishiki the extra leverage and momentum he needed to drive the manslayer into the chalky ground. The former Ishin Shishi fell into a dusty heap, wheezing in agony.

Fujita snorted, gingerly wiping the blood on his neck and face as he assiduously observed his adversary's current condition. 'He's breathing too hard. Could it be that his body couldn't keep up with that show of strength? It must have taken more out of him than he anticipated.'

Slowly, Battousai brought his breathing under control.

Fujita was definitely taken aback by _that_. 'Humph. What a phenomenal recovery. Like in my fight with him in the Kamiya Dojo, this watered-down version of Battousai is slowly adapting himself in the face of a superior foe, becoming fiercer, stronger, and faster. By fighting me, his oldest enemy, has the sense of more than a century ago been revived? Has he become Hitokiri Battousai once more? Or am I instead fighting the Youkiri Battousai?'

"I have never tried using the Zeroshiki on you until now. I wonder, is my ultimate technique even stronger than your ultimate technique?" Fujita reflected out loud as he pointed his sword at the former hitokiri's general direction.

"You won't even get the chance to find out," Battousai patently vowed as he fell into stance once more.

"Indeed? Prove me wrong, then." As Fujita uttered the words, his sword started to glow ethereally. "Only this will tell. The true from of the Gatotsu. No holding back now."

'Now, like before, his ghost had learned to accept victory by awakening the strength of the Battousai that sleeps inside him. It's just as I thought. When the need arises, although he doesn't know it, little by little he's reverting to his Battousai self.' Fujita grimaced as his sharp, amber eyes of malice narrowed at his target. 'Nevertheless...'

Fujita stabbed forward. Battousai sidestepped and turned, making the Former Captain of the Third Shinsengumi Unit miss his adversary and overextend himself.

"RYU KAN SEN!"

With his footing uneven and the Battousai inching closer and closer with a sword that did _not_ have a reverse edge, Fujita had a very small chance for survival... yet also a very small window of opportunity. Though the dragon's advantage lay in the heavens, the wolf's advantage lay on the earth.

Battousai's resulting centrifugal-powered Ryu Kan Sen... the same Ryu Kan Sen that had beaten the human version of Goro Fujita many decades past... hit nothing but air this time around. 'What...?'

"Amazing. Avoiding the blow and turning at the same time. A blow to the back full of centrifugal force, the Dragon Swathe Flash," Fujita jibed as he crouched low, avoiding the counterstrike and regaining his balance and leverage. The Youtou Shinnoken whistled past him, its blade mere inches from his scalp. "But this instance won't become a replay of our last fight. Observe."

Dragon and wolf were again face-to-face. Fujita had long discovered that the claws and teeth of the dragon that soared the heavens could not reach a wolf that had gone to earth. He even tested his theory successfully against the Shisejyu Seiryu.

'Let's see how this technique is going to fare against _the_ legendary Battousai.' "GATOTSU SANSHIKI!" Fujita roared as he once more charged with the third stance of his Gatotsu.

'What an interesting counter. Indeed, he has done his homework.' Battousai's mind immediately worked out over a dozen attacks and counterattacks from Fujita's location, and the defenses he could muster to counter or evade them. However, before he could implement even one of his elaborate battle plans, he felt his spirit break and his soul shatter. Something had happened to Yusuke once more.

Unbidden, Himura Battousai's entire being quickly spun into chaos as agony stabbed the very core of his tangible soul. It exploded from the inside out, tearing him apart in every which way possible. Nothing could penetrate the haze of searing pain he felt at that moment. 'Not now. NOT NOW!'

Fujita continued his charge, inadvertently taking advantage of his sudden stroke of luck. "Say good-bye to your borrowed life, Battousai!"

What concerned Battousai at the back of his mind was the lack of feeling from his environment that followed Fujita's lance of unbearable torture.

After several minutes, Battousai blanked out altogether.

* * *

Rando sneered. "Urameshi, you arrogant piece of shit. Your arrogance astounds me; astounds and disgusts me," he growled. "It's humans like you who perpetuate the rot in society, people like you who, secure in your own ability, belittle that of others, no matter how hard they try. To think that you could actually be a half-demon makes me sick. Only humans can be this bigheaded, giving themselves more credit than they actually deserve."

"Whoa. Easy there, lady. Take some deep breaths. In... out... in... out. There, have you calmed down a bit? I hope so." Yusuke sniggered. "I must say, I was actually praising you, but the way you reacted to it will have me laughing for days. You're ANGRY! Grrrr! I think you need to put some stuff into perspective here."

"All I need to do is give you another Hakkei and you're toast. You should be the one putting things into perspective," Rando countered.

"Whatever, man. Anyway, by this time I reckon your present power range is somewhere between B-Class and A-Class, right? It's good to see that you're not a Class-C shit anymore. You're now as powerful as the Younger Toguro was at the height of his power. I'm impressed, I really am." Yusuke nodded to himself as Rando continued to glare daggers at him.

"You're never at a loss for words, aren't you?" Rando scathingly barked, scowling. "Just what are you getting at?"

"I'll tell you; just shut up and hear me out," Yusuke berated. "Indeed, your vast knowledge of techniques makes you nearly unbeatable once you've attained enough energy to execute them all; that much I'll give you. I suppose that's why you desperately wanted to get a hold of Genkai's Spirit Light Wave Gem in the first place. However," the Toushin smirked as his eyes glimmered with glee, "your greatest strength will prove to be your own downfall."

"Fuck you, Urameshi," Rando cursed. "You're just flapping your gums, talking trash. Let's just get on with it."

"You're a fucking idiot, aren't you? Do you really think that having a hundred and one techniques is an advantage on your part? Ha. That's just a hundred and one reasons for me to beat your sorry ass." Toushin Yusuke shook his head in mock dismay. "Don't you know that there's a reason why true fighters only make use of, at most, seven to eight techniques? And out of all those techniques, there are only two or three they use most often?"

Hearing Rando's lack of a response, the mazoku continued. "You're a jack of all trades, but a master of none. You can easily get confused thinking up of which technique to use in a given situation, and you have to choose carefully because you can only use a certain technique at a certain time. Fact is, once you overspecialize, you breed in weakness. So what are you going to do now, you stupid walking Swiss Army Knife?

"I'm going to do this: SHAOLIN-KA-SHOU-HAPPA-KEN! ZANKUU REPPU JIN! BLOOD FIRE WAVE! ZANKUU RETSU JIN! KIKOKEN! YOU-GAN! BLOODY RAIN! SPIRIT GUILLOTINE! SHIKIGAMI TENKU! HADOU KEN! POWER WAVE! REPUU KEN! AOI HANA! PSYCHO SHOT!" His throat raw from all his shouting, Rando threw a multitude of his projectiles at the half-breed, one after the other. The myriad of dancing energy waves converged into a hodgepodge of rainbow-colored death.

"As for me, I only need one technique; a technique that surpasses all my other techniques by a mile. And I ain't talking about the Rei-Gan either! So eat this, demon! SEI KOU KI!"

Sparks flew as the Bloody Rain's barrage cascaded upon Toushin Yusuke like shrapnel at point blank range. The blistering assault would have ripped the mazoku descendant apart had he not evoked his Saint Light Ki. As it was, the attack merely neutralized the half-demon's impassioned offensive temporarily.

'Impossible! How can he summon that technique after suffering from the Blood Wind's energy-sapping powers? And what about the power he used earlier? Shouldn't that have depleted him of his strength too?' An audible mental click akin to the sound made by plucking a taut guitar string echoed in Rando's head.

Toushin Yusuke went through the Spirit Guillotine, Blood Fire Wave, Shaolin-Ka-Shou-Happa-Ken, Zankuu Reppu Jin, and Zankuu Retsu Jin with no trouble whatsoever, like they weren't even there. On the other hand, the combined forces of the Hadou Ken, Power Wave, Repuu Ken, and the ever-fiery Aoi Hana gave him a bit of pause as they clashed mightily against his halo of divine grace.

'Wait. Didn't he just say that he kept some reserve Saint Light Ki inside his body?' Rando nodded to himself in understanding. 'But of course. He didn't need to charge up a new batch of Sei Kou Ki, he already stored up all the Sei Kou Ki he would ever need beforehand. He wasn't afraid to use up quite a bit of his reiki and youki because he already hoarded a lot of holy energy within him as backup; it's all money in the bank,' he assessed.

By the time Yusuke was able to advance further, the Kikoken and the You-Gan had already merged, creating a spherical explosion that pushed the mazoku back a couple of feet away. The Shikigami Tenku then detonated in the heart of the blast, creating an explosion within an explosion that annihilated almost everything in its path.

"I won't hold back anymore!" Rando declared; obviously, he was merely bluffing. He had already said the same statement many times before at different points of the fight. He wasn't really holding back at all; the truth was, he simply didn't know what his true limits were. "I have something even more powerful than your precious Sei Kou Ki!"

The mazoku didn't have time to engage in witty repartee with his nemesis; he was too busy shaping his celestial powers into angelic wings that would serve as his shield from the approaching many-megaton blast. His half-demonic brown eyes then widened in astonishment as the last projectile, the Psycho Shot, absorbed all the leftover energy of the previously released attacks, hurtling itself towards him like a gigantic streaking comet from outer space.

Spending all his reserves on his protective parry, Urameshi turned his complete and total attention to the sphere of psychotic energy, hitting it with the Sei Kou Ki in full power. Slowly but surely, the intense psycho ball decreased in size as his gilded wings dispersed the incursion's superfluous amount of negative energy. After a while, the energy orb dissipated into nothingness; only then did he look over his adversary's direction.

Yusuke had been so preoccupied with dispelling the Psycho Shot that he didn't even anticipate what happened next. Rando looked straight into Yusuke's eyes, making the mazoku think that the youkai was aiming for another surprise Shin no Ippou. However, instead of shooting out hypnotic rays of kenki to arrest his opponent's movements, Rando's eyes turned blood red as tendrils of raging demonic power scorched through his upper body.

Rando subsequently did two quick jabs, moved forward by a quarter of a foot, did a low kick and a fierce straight punch, and then ended his short kata by raising his left knee and shifting all his weight on the tips of his right foot's toes. Surreally enough, the demon began gliding towards Yusuke while maintaining his bizarre fighting stance. Away from the mazoku's field of vision, the kanji for the word 'Heaven' appeared on Rando's pasty back like a large, bleeding scar.

"SHUN GOKU SATSU!"

"What the...?" Yusuke reared back and hesitated for all of two seconds before instinctively rushing forward with an iron-hard punch filled with his consecrated Sei Kou Ki power.

The two approached each other with the momentum of two raging bulls, heading for the place where life and death met.

As the two energies clashed together, Yusuke's sense of balance and equilibrium was rendered null. His whole world went upside down as absurd amounts of poisonous jaki was forcibly pumped into his system, subverting and nullifying the sanctified abilities of his Saint Light Ki. In a little while, the mazoku saw a very brief vision of a bloody river filled with souls of the damned; he thought he saw the Gateway to Hell.

Was Yusuke going to die the same way Keiko did? Was he going to suffer a death by jaki as well?

'Keiko... is dead. And I will be dead as well. Maybe it won't be so bad, once we're finally together.'

There were flashes of pain and agony as pandemonium erupted. Afterwards, there was dead silence.

* * *

_And then it was over. Yusuke came to without even realizing it. He had no idea how long he had been unconscious, but he had been out for quite some time; that, at least, was certain. One moment he was surrounded by madness, and the next he had stepped into the eye of the storm, a featureless bubble of merciful stability. Sudden relief washed through him, and he fell to his knees, gasping desperately as he tried to recover._

_The only thing he could remember was an intense flare, and then... this. He tried to open his eyes to see where he was, but found that they were already open. Alas, he saw nothing but pitch blackness. Could the flash have blinded him? The mere thought drove him to terror, and he struggled the best he could against the darkness of his surroundings, gritting his teeth in pain. The droning in his head was still there, louder than ever before._

_Gradually, the weird high whining in his head weakened. Weakened until he realized that it wasn't a whine at all, but... a voice. _

_'Yusuke...'_

_"K-Keiko...?"_

_Another epiphany rose slowly out of the nimbus of his consciousness. He was unconscious, but the voice, the droning in his mind, was no dream. _

_Keiko's spirit smiled faintly as she finally got through to Yusuke's inner mind. The Kugai had lost the war for Yusuke's soul and sanity... for now. It was up to her to completely free the half-demon from the World of Suffering's tight, smothering grip._

_"Keiko... KEIKO! Keiko, where are you? A-Are you all right? Um, what I meant to say was, are you...?" Yusuke stopped his stuttering short; he didn't know what to say. He knew. He already knew why she was there and what had happened to her. He knew that her body was in danger of expiring, and her soul had already passed through the Spirit World. Because of the Kugai, he felt every conscientious, difficult breath her slumbering self took in. 'What do you say to a person's ghost anyway? _I hope that, besides the dying part, you're all right?_' _

_Strangely enough, Keiko girlishly chuckled at Yusuke's morbid joke. 'You do know that I can now hear all the weird little thoughts that are running in your head, right? It's one of the perks of becoming a ghost.' Once Keiko became aware of what she just replied, she paused. Obviously, her own dead baby joke left a bad taste in her mouth._

_Yusuke couldn't see Keiko's face at all in the pitch-blackness of his withering psyche, but he did get the gut feeling that her mood soon after become melancholic. Not that he could blame her for that or anything._

_'Well now. It seems that the tables have turned. Looks like this time, I'm the one who died in an accident and you're the one that... that...' Keiko forced a laugh. Though unseen, Yusuke intuitively knew that she was crying inside right then and there._

_"So this is just a dream, since dreams are the only way a ghost can talk to a living person. But even though it's just a dream, at least... you're real," Yusuke confessed, scratching the side of his cheek in growing embarrassment. "At least I can have that comfort, Keiko." _

_Yusuke felt Keiko smile. 'Yes. Yes, I am. I'm very real.' Keiko's hands shook, trembling like bamboo leaves, moving upwards to reach for her unreachable, untouchable loved one. She, like Yusuke, could feel the half-demon's trepidation; his dread. 'Yusuke...' She braced herself. _

_'Listen to me carefully. This is very important. Botan-san had already briefed me on what's going on with you, and it had me a bit worried,' she informed telepathically._

_"S-So what's going on with me?" Yusuke questioned warily. "How long have I been out cold? How long have I been dreaming? Why do I feel like I'm out of the loop? I'm so confused that I don't even know which way is up!"_

_'Botan-san said that it was all the Kugai's fault. Your subconscious has automatically transformed you into a demon in order to counteract the Kugai's tendency to leave people hopeless and suicidal. Your demon self is what's keeping your sanity in check because only your demon self would survive if the Kugai ever had its way. Your humanity is being destroyed piece by piece, and you mustn't let the World of Suffering do that to you!'_

_"Well, ain't that just fucking convenient." Yusuke grunted in annoyance. "It's almost as if the Kugai was tailor-made to make sure that I stay demonized. It's a setup, I tell you!"_

_'Well, that's not the case now. Only after you've stopped being in denial and accepted the painful truth about,' she inwardly sighed, 'my situation did you set yourself free from the Kugai's grip. I'm so proud of you.' That was what Keiko said, but the way she said it made it sound as if she were anything but proud; or happy, for that matter. _

_Even though he already knew the answer, Yusuke couldn't help but dazedly state, "So it's true. It wasn't a dream... the fact that you're..." _

_Yusuke could almost hear the heartbreak in Keiko's voice. 'Dead?' _

_Both teenagers mulled over the situation wordlessly, both desperately trying to find a solution to their problem._

_"Yes," Yusuke finally confirmed. "About that..."_

_'Yusuke, I... I've prepared myself. Though I was in limbo... purgatory, actually... for quite a while, in total denial of what had happened to me, my heart is now ready. I have accepted the fact that I may not come back to life like you did when you were dead. Just my rotten luck, huh? But it's not so bad. I might actually pass on to the afterlife, in fact, and...'_

_"Shut up."_

_'...E-Excuse me?' _

_"Shut the fuck up," Yusuke said in a low, dangerous voice. "Don't go telling me shit like that! What you're saying is complete and utter bullshit!"_

_Keiko bit her lip as she felt the Kugai reassert its grip on her half-demon boyfriend's mind. This was going to be... difficult. _

_Then, after much hesitation and inner deliberation, Keiko finally spoke. 'I forgot to say that I love you.'_

_Yusuke was taken aback by what Keiko just said, completely nonplussed. "That was kind of out of the blue. I love you too, of course, but what the heck are you trying to say?" he cautiously inquired in befuddlement. _

_'Shush. Let me finish.' The walls were down, Keiko realized; just for a moment, Yusuke had burst out of his Kugai-induced shell. But something told her that she had to be careful. One careless remark was all it took to slam his defenses back._

_Feeling as though she were walking on eggshells, she firmly prodded, 'I'm sorry I wasn't able to tell you that back when you were supposed to leave for the Demon World, but I presumed that you already knew. Well, it's my turn to say it. I love you a whole lot. I love you so badly that even I'm confused about it. You disgust me immensely, you're insufferable, and I love you so much, it hurts.'_

_"Stop it, you fool." There was indescribable agony in Yusuke's tone. "Why tell me that now of all times? I already know. Stop saying such things, because it sounds a bit too much like a good-bye to me." _

_Perhaps Keiko _was_ bidding Yusuke farewell, but she didn't want to think such depressing thoughts at the moment. She needed to set her priorities straight, because there was nothing left of her pride now as she bared her soul to Yusuke. She'd be very, very embarrassed later on once they survived this ordeal and faced each other again, but she was more than willing to take the risk, knowing there might not be a 'later on' for her anyway. It was this same sort of insight that drove her to kiss Yusuke to save his life as well, once upon a time._

_'I understand the pain that you must be feeling because of my situation more than you'll ever know. I lost you not once, but twice. All I'm asking now is that you man up and fight on. Use that pain to persevere, because that's the thing I love the most about you.'_

_"Of course I'm going to fight! I'm going to fight for your life, Keiko! Don't sound so resigned and helpless! Remember, Kuwabara almost died dozens of times over, and look, he's still here! Genkai was honest-to-goodness dead, but with one snap of Koenma's fingers, she got better! And there're the Toguro brothers and their eternal youth shtick. Oh, and let's not forget our friend Kenshin, who's been hanging around this world for more than a century because of some cursed sword or something. And what about me? I've overcome death twice! I'm not bragging, that's a fact. So you can't give up. I won't let you surrender so easily. I won't leave you behind, so don't you worry. I'll find a way to bring you back to life."_

_'I knew you'd say that, and I appreciate the sentiment.' Imaginary tears streamed across Keiko's cheeks. 'You're fighting for everything. You're fighting for me and fighting so that you'll know how deep my love for you is. So please, continue fighting for me, come what may.' She swallowed hard. 'Unfortunately, to do so, you have to let go.' _

_There was another pause. "But how can you be sure that nothing bad will happen to you if I do?"_

_'I can't be sure. I'm sorry.' Her vaporous lips touched his; a deathly cold non-kiss from a girl who already had a foot on her grave. 'It's just that... you have no choice.'_

_And then Yusuke cried. His familiar defenses were down. He stood before her, hidden in the darkness, but more open and vulnerable than she had ever beheld him before. She didn't want him to be like this, and yet hearing his wails filled her with desire and longing, and all she really wanted in the world was to reach up and wipe the wetness from his face, touch his skin, feel his warmth on her hands, her lips... _

_But she couldn't. Not anymore. And, if things turned for the worse, perhaps she never will. All she had to give were words. She hoped that they were enough. 'Please don't cry. It's quite unbecoming of you. Like Kuwabara-kun says, 'Be a man, Urameshi!'' She laughed miserably. 'Don't worry, because I'll be with you too, crying, bleeding, and fighting harder than I ever thought I could. Whether or not I'll live through this, I will always, _always_ be by your side. You can bet your life on that.'_

_And with that, Yusuke completely let go, finally accepting Keiko's fate; only by doing so did the Kugai fully dissipate from the splinter in his mind._

* * *

Yusuke awoke with a shout of terror, lurching forward and clutching his chest. Curiously, his long mane of hair had already receded to normal length while the myriad of markings on his body slowly faded away. Most curious of all was the fact that the aforementioned chest that he was clutching was strangely covered in his own blood; it was apparently punctured by... God-knew-what.

He proceeded to rub his eyes wearily with his unsullied hand; he felt dizzied for some reason, as if someone had just crushed his skull with a sledgehammer.

'A dream!' he told himself. 'Just a nightmare! Man, that was spooky.' He tried to fit together the jumble of ephemeral images and sensations from his nightmare. Something dark... something with claws... burning globes of amber set against a black field. Also, something about Keiko...

If Yusuke's heart were still beating, it would have stopped right then and there.

'N-No, that wasn't part of the dream,' he thought hastily, disinclined to delve into such melancholy. Shuddering, he tried to shake off the dark thought. 'No, I'm thinking about the _other_ dream.'

His epiphany merely lasted for one minute, but to Yusuke Urameshi, it seemed like an eternity. The combined powers of Rando's last technique and the special stabbing skill of Kenshin's enemy proved too much for even his mazoku self to handle. He promptly fainted in sheer exhaustion, but not before seeing though Rando's gambit of using hypnosis to make him think that the demon could do a high-level maneuver like the Instant Hell Murder.

There was more. Keiko was comatose, and her ghost just helped him get through the curse of the World of Suffering. He was now awake and back to normal, although he was still morbidly depressed. On the bright side, Rando's power was just about completely depleted at that point. And, like the coward that he was, the demon was currently crawling to the exit of the dojo, completely spent and broken.

Rando had already stumbled to the gargantuan doors leading outside before he stopped himself altogether. 'Have you lost all pride? Stand up and fight!' he heard himself think as Yusuke started to walk towards him.

He was down on his knees now, clenching his ashen fists in either terror or shame; he couldn't tell which. His face was chalk-white and beaded with sweat. Like a verbal curse, he repeated his accusatory mantra of cowardice, the words seemingly draining more from him as time passed. He looked about ready to pass out.

"No, damn it!" Rando screamed suddenly, ferociously, startling Yusuke. "NO! I WON'T LET IT END LIKE THIS!"

But he felt so tired and weak, as if the all his energy had been sapped from his body. 'The Jagan of Deception has depleted me of the jaki that the Chojin had so generously provided. Dammit, I'm such a spendthrift fool!' His strangely reddened eyes narrowed.

It was far too late for regrets; Rando reckoned that, even though he hadn't much strength to offer at that point in the fight, he had nothing else to lose. He only had two choices: to live in dishonor or to die in agonizing defeat.

He let out a bitter laugh. "This is appropriate, don't you think? Seeing myself sprawled on all fours, making a hasty exit towards the door like a whipped dog, I mean," he drawled. "After all, I'm just a lowly demon, a mere pawn to the Chojin's elaborate chess game. Well, I once thought that even a pawn like me can make a big difference in our war against the Spirit World, conveniently forgetting that the very definition of a pawn is 'expendable'."

"Rando..." Yusuke hesitated before continuing, "You sound like you..."

"...Like I want to die?" Rando laughed: a horrid sound. "You have no idea. I don't want that at all. I want..." His eyes grew distant. "I want it to _mean_ something."

"This fight of ours, you mean?" asked Yusuke.

He laughed again. "You _don't_ understand. I mean... all of this! Everything! Damn it..." he broke off. "Look," he said. "I've sacrificed my honor, my dignity, my soul... I gave my whole life to be stronger, no, to be the strongest of all the demons! To be a Class-S warrior, or at the very least, one of the Chojin's generals! That was my dream, and _you're_ the one who stole it from me! You, who didn't even want my dream in the first place! You, who threw away a life of dominance and ambition, a life that would've meant everything to me! And here I am, on the verge of taking back what was supposed to be mine, and you ruined it again! My decades of waiting, training, and suffering was about to end, and in just a few hours, the opportunity has passed me by once more! Don't you _see_?"

Yusuke gulped in bewilderment as the remnants of the Kugai made it abundantly clear how Rando truly felt.

"Think about it," Rando urged Yusuke desperately. "You don't deserve all the power that was given to you! You don't deserve all the luck and the hand-me-downs that you've gotten, since you can't even appreciate just how important these things really are! If my ambition was this fragile... if it could be destroyed this easily, stolen and taken for granted so effortlessly... then what _good_ was it? If everything I worked for could be taken away just like that, then what was the _point_? What does it _mean_?"

Rando held back a sob. "Don't you see?" he whispered. "I just don't want it to have been for nothing."

There was a long silence. Yusuke stared at Rando for the longest time. In the distance, they heard the disturbing howl of a wolf. Rando sighed, and started to turn away.

"Then fight," snapped Yusuke.

Rando looked around quickly, shocked.

"Fight, damn it!" Yusuke repeated. His voice was filled with anger. "You want it all to be meaningful? How dare you! The only thing that makes your suffering meaningless right now is that you've given up! You want meaning? You want what you've done to be significant? Then _defend_ it instead of just beating your chest and moaning about how sad you feel!"

Rando trembled from the might of Yusuke's words.

"The surest way to defeat," continued Yusuke, "is to give up before you begin." He shook his head, and something like an arrogant smirk crossed his lips. "So what are you going to do now, Rando?"

Rando finally realized that there wasn't any other choice left for him at all. He stood up, spun on his heel, and turned towards Yusuke. Looking straight into his opponent's eyes, he shouted what could be his last battle cry.

An inferno of unbridled power exploded from the tips of Rando's fingers; the remnants of the Chojin's jaki. A fountain of dark matter, a void of energy; it screamed out a fiery, all-consuming storm of chaos and destruction. There was a rumble of noise, like converging bolts of lightning, like the howls of a banshee wind, like the vociferous crash of a thousand sheets of glass.

Above it all, out of the eye of that maelstrom, out of a throat burning with power and sore with desire, came his tortured cry.

"GRAVITON THUNDER!" Rando charged proudly, foolishly, magnificently, his eyes a smoldering, murderous cauldron of rage that threatened dire vengeance on anyone who got in his way.

At the same time, from the tips of Yusuke's fingers came a revolving sphere of sunlight; the remnants of his Saint Light Ki. It afterwards exploded into a supernova that, strangely enough, pulled in and turned back the Sei Kou Ki in a never-ending cycle of destructive death and fiery rebirth. A hairbreadth of a second later, he cried out, his voice stridently clear and mighty as he uttered an oath of total annihilation.

"CHOU REI-GAN!" Feeling rather rebellious for a change, he unleashed the roar of a dying phoenix, giving everything that he had in that one blast. The shot made an eerie humming sound as it was launched, followed by an earsplitting crack after it accelerated in the air. It moved so fast that it was ignited by friction, turning into a streak of white flame, a vengeful shooting star from the heavens sent by the Son of the Great Mazoku Warlord himself.

Truth be told, Yusuke didn't want to use his Rei-Gan at that point because he himself was so exhausted from the extensive fight that he could barely stand, let alone fight. But for the very same reason, he had to do it; Rando's Graviton Thunder might just possibly kill him this time around.

Rando's face blurred and rippled amidst the glare of the projectile. He flared with holy light. He felt neither remorse nor regret as the Super Spirit Gun... childish a technique as it may sound... basically burned him inside out with explosive power. What he did feel was painful numbness. He knew that he did the best that he could in the fight, so there was nothing for him to be ashamed of. He actually halfway enjoyed it, though probably not as much as Urameshi did. "Yes. Finish me off. I'll be glad to die this way. It's an honorable death."

That was the last statement he was able to make before his body began to twist and writhe inside the infernal blaze of what seemed to be a miniature star, like an ant curling up into a fetal ball as it got fried by sunlight from a magnifying glass.

There came a sickening crunch, followed by a strange hissing sound that was akin to sizzling liquid on top of a hot frying pan. Yusuke's burst of spirit energy, on the other hand, eventually dispelled into nothingness a moment later.

The weary half-demon heaved a heavy sigh as he involuntarily turned his head away from the mangled and fried lump on the ground that was once Rando. 'Dammit. It's finally over.' His knees then buckled as he collapsed in complete exhaustion.

Yusuke stiffened. 'Oh no. Oh fuck no.' He uneasily gulped, choking in his own guilt. 'I've exhausted all my powers. That means...!' His eyes widened in horrific realization. Without his ki energy, Kenshin too would run out of strength; that was the double edge of their shared Demon Sword bond. 'Goddammit, no! SHIT! Not again! I'm so sorry. I'm so fucking sorry, Kenshin!'

Completely spent and worn out, Yusuke fell face-first to the ground, a shroud of darkness draping over his subconscious as his blood started to mysteriously pool underneath him.

* * *

As the real Yusuke awoke from being the Toushin, so did the real Kenshin wake up from being the Battousai.

Fujita snorted in disgust as he kicked Kenshin in the face while in the process of retracting his sword from his opponent's chest. Luckily for the swordsman ghost, the half-mazoku Yusuke didn't need a living, beating heart to survive, so the strike wasn't a fatal one.

"Awaken your true self again. You've done so before, in the hands of countless demons. Do the same thing now. Abandon your humanity. Become the Devil inside the Demon Sword once more, Battousai. The vagabond ghost that does not kill has made you weak," Fujita snarled.

"I don't need to abandon my humanity just to stop you, Saito," Kenshin all but spat out before charging without heed. If his next attack didn't succeed, the fight was over. He had no choice but to force his attack to succeed.

His new move was the apex of his swords skills; an unbeatable technique he had come up with on his own during his tenure as Guardian of the Demon Sword. At least, that was what his body instinctively remembered. Nevertheless, it didn't even have a name until that point...

"KAITEN BATTOUJUTSU!" It seemed like an appropriate name; perhaps something that Sanosuke himself might have suggested. From there, Kenshin used up every last inch of his strength, his strike coinciding in perfect harmony with Yusuke's Chou Rei-Gan.

"GATOTSU ZEROSHIKI!" Fujita countered, his attack pound-per-pound as powerful as Kenshin's.

The Zeroshiki proved too much for the Youtou Shinnoken to handle; it slipped from Kenshin's tight grip, flung away by the collision of two irresistible forces. Shortly, the pointed tip of the weapon embedded itself unto the ground just as the pointed tip of Fujita's sword pierced itself into Kenshin. Both warrior and weapon lay unmoving long after they fell. His blood, the spirit guardian noted idly, had started to pool underneath him.

The Legendary Battousai, Kenshin Himura, had just been defeated soundly, unquestionably, and completely by Goro Fujita. 'How anticlimactic.'

"Aho. You're a complete and utter moron. Get up. Get up and fight, you pathetic fool. It would be disappointing to end our battle like this after so long," Fujita derided in disgust as he flicked his sword clean of his quarry's blood.

To Fujita's revulsion, Kenshin finally swallowed his pride, pleading, "Please, don't kill me. This life I've borrowed isn't mine, but a friend's. I beg of you, please spare him! I'll do anything...!"

Sooner rather than later, Kenshin realized that Fujita had not made a move to finish him off at all. "S-Saito... I mean, Fujita! Whoever you are! Why...?"

"Shut up," Fujita responded in a reproachful tone. "Just look at yourself. This parody of the Battousai, the wanderer that could not kill, doesn't deserve a death by my hands. I'll leave you to your fate."

The swordsman didn't say another word. What else was there to say? He didn't even know whether he should have felt relief or shame for himself after hearing Fujita's decision. It was all very puzzling to the confused ghost.

* * *

**To be Continued...**

_Next: More on Kenshin Himura's past._

The debate in regards to Rando being a jack of all trades and a master of none was based, believe it or not, from a wrestling forum. As everybody knows, wrestling is serious business. In any case, yeah; some forum debates, utterly retarded as they may be, are quite interesting to archive from time to time.

_Ja!_  
**Abdiel**


	12. Chapter 11

_The ferry-girl's head swam. Disheveled blue hair clung to her face, obscuring her pink eyes and confusing her vision as a hot, unseen wind tugged at it in every which way. She looked up through the fog in front of her and squinted at the blurry nothingness._

_Botan floated in a dark emptiness somewhere beneath the reach of consciousness, unaware of the passage of time. She was in a strange nether zone between fantasy and reality, unwilling to move towards awakening for fear of what she might find there. Loneliness threatened to sweep her away, but she held firm, her expression unchanging, her eyes fixed upon that... person. That strange, pony-tailed girl carrying a wooden sword who suddenly appeared in her line of sight. _

_'Who is she, exactly? What's she doing? Have I gone insane?' Botan wondered dazedly._

_The ferry-girl stared, perhaps even ogled, at the strangely foggy spectacle before her. The aforementioned girl she espied was currently stalking a diminutive, red-haired swordsman coming their way. _

_Botan soundly blinked as she spotted the cross-shaped scar on the swordsman's left cheek. 'What in the world...? Kenshin! What's he doing here? While we're at it, what am _I_ doing here? Where is 'here'?' _

_"Hitokiri Battousai!" the girl declared, startling both the wandering swordsman and the shinigami. Kenshin stopped in mid-step and looked behind him curiously, only to be greeted by a bokuto in front of his face._

_"At long last, I've found you! Your two months of bloodshed in the streets ends tonight. Prepare yourself!" the young woman declared as she went into a fighting stance. _

_"Oro?" Kenshin exclaimed, his eyes bugging out._

_"Kenshin? Killing people? Why, he wouldn't even hurt a fly!" Botan cried out with the intention of telling the silly, stick-wielding teenager off. But it seemed that the young woman hadn't even heard the shinigami's proclamation of Kenshin's innocence. Thinking that the kendo girl might be deaf, Botan raised her voice._

_"I know Kenshin! He's a good, er, ghost! Sure, he was called the Hitokiri Battousai once upon a time, but so what? He's a changed man! From what I heard from a friend of mine, he's even willing to protect _demons_ from harm! Heck, he saved _me_ from danger too!" Botan shouted as she eyed Kenshin, waiting for him to back her up. To her chagrin, he ignored her. 'What's with these people? Jeez!'_

_"Don't play innocent with me! Who else would ignore the edict and walk around with a sword?" Kaoru all but shouted as she swung her bokuto at Kenshin in full-force. The vagabond leapt away blindly, consequently crashing into a fence and collapsing in a crumpled heap._

_Botan started to sweat in exasperation. 'Always playing the goof; eh, Kenshin?' The girl mirrored the angel of death's expression. "That didn't take long... Hitokiri Battousai?"_

_Kenshin rubbed his head in sheepishness and pain. "I'm just a rurouni, with no family or profession; a wandering swordsman. I just arrived in town. I don't know anything about bloodshed in these streets..." _

_The girl looked flustered and confused. "Well then, how do you explain this sword at your waist? Swordsmen aren't allowed to wear real swords!" _

_Botan let out a small squeal of surprise as the black-haired girl drew the vagabond's sword from its sheathe and examined it. The strange weapon's sharp edge was located at its back end_... _like a sickle_... _while the blunt part was located at the front. _

_'A reverse-edged sword?' Botan murmured. 'W-What's going on here?'_

* * *

**Youtou Shinnoken: Demon Sword**

A Yuyu Hakusho/Rurouni Kenshin fic  
by Chester Castañeda

Original concept by Chad Yang

Iehik and Iehog continue their reign of terror on Botan and Kenshin. Warning: Lots of flashback scenes.

_Disclaimer: Yuyu Hakusho is the rightful property of Yoshihiro Togashi, Shueisha, Fuji TV and St. Pierrot. Rurouni Kenshin is the rightful property of Nobuhiro Watsuki and Sony. This disclaimer also covers all the other copyrighted material that are far too many to mention here. Don't sue me please, I'm very poor._

* * *

**Chapter 11: Over the Horizon (Part 5)**

* * *

Time passed and Battousai... no, Kenshin... cast himself on the unruly currents of reminiscence. That seemed natural enough. From what he gathered, this was quite a common phenomenon during this sort of situation.

There were so many events in his life that had helped mold him into the person he was today, right at that moment. The massacre of his adoptive siblings when he was just a child. His escape from death through nothing but sheer luck. The first time he picked up a sword at Seijuro Hiko's command. The first man he killed. The night he acquired the first half of the cross scar on his cheek. Tomoe. The completion of his mark of shame, etching permanently upon his face the price of love and life.

His forsaking of dealing out death as long as he was alive. Meeting Kaoru Kamiya in Tokyo, and the slow return of his humanity under her guidance and caring. Meeting Sanosuke, who was probably the truest comrade he ever had. Meeting Yahiko, which gave him the chance to raise someone the way he wished he was raised. Kyoto. Dying in Kyoto along with Shishio. Being cursed for all eternity to be the guardian of a demonic sword in order to make up for his past sins and his ultimate failure.

All throughout Kenshin's life, all he did was atone for the mistakes that he did. Even after he died, he still kept on atoning for his sins. In fact, even though his memories of his stint as a shinigami were a bit blurry, he had an inkling feeling that the reason why he was exiled in his sword was because he had made yet another blunder to atone for. Nevertheless, he would not have it any other way. Indeed, there was no life that was not full of errors. He was only human.

He lay unmoving for quite some time until he heard what seemed to be consecutive aftershocks of thunder rumbling in the distance. Upon further deliberation, he realized that these strange sounds were less like thunder, and more like the thudding hooves of a large animal, like a horse or a bull. 'Strange.'

On the opposite direction from where Fujita went, a heavyset entity approached the former rurouni. Kenshin raised his head... enough strength had returned for that... roused from his reverie. He tore his eyes away from the inane blanket of cold whiteness to look inquiringly at the approaching figure.

The creature was barely perceptible because the darkness served as its cloak of pitch-black robes. It appeared from the shadow's edge, shambling towards Kenshin at a pace akin to a fast walk. It was hunched over, making it hard to tell how large it really was, and the swordsman could see none of its features. More importantly, it was headed straight towards him.

Heedlessly, the hideous stalker pounced on Kenshin, smothering him with a merciless barrage of swipes and slashes reminiscent of the redhead's own feverish attack against Fujita awhile back.

'It's not human. It's some kind of demon! A powerful one!' Kenshin's hakama ripped as he barely dodged another one of its strikes.

Kenshin bobbed down under one of the behemoth's swipes and executed a blisteringly fast battoujutsu strike... his specialty... not holding back in the least despite his lack of energy. Unfortunately, his sword clanged on something twisted and hard, like a bundle of steel coils or chitinous armor. Fortunately, to the redhead's relief, it creaked under the Youtou Shinnoken's edge and eventually gave. The monster took a step back, paused for the briefest of moments, then resumed its tireless assault.

'At least it's reacting to my attack,' Kenshin assessed, noting balefully that his sword-ki was still at a minimum level. His strike was immediately countered by a draconic claw that came out of nowhere, catching him in the abdomen and emptying his lungs of air in a single exhale. He was sent sprawling backwards by the sheer power of the blow.

Kenshin trembled as he stayed down on the ground, his belabored breathing and heaving chest thankfully indicating that he... or rather, Yusuke... was still alive and well.

The creature, for some unfathomable reason, picked that particular moment to applaud Kenshin's efforts, its mocking, contemptuous claps echoing in the empty, frosted cliff. It then ambled towards a nearby mound of snow and picked up some sort of person-sized bundle on the ground. 'What's he got there?' Kenshin absently wondered in between ragged breaths.

A short and portly demon, resembling a mutant midget of some sort, soon came into view just as the larger, more horrifying beast cradled the bundle in its arms like a newborn infant. Thoroughly disturbed, Kenshin found the whole scene strange, sick, and wrong.

The smaller youkai grinned maliciously at Kenshin, its eyes perfectly round and seemingly drilling into the spirit guardian's mind as they glinted a malevolent light.

Comprehension dawned in Kenshin's own eyes. "Y-You!" he mouthed, his voice a mere whisper.

"Yes, me." The diminutive one's simpering, fanged smile widened. "Me and _ him_." He turned to his hulking comrade-in-arms. "Do you still have the girl?" he asked.

Kenshin clenched his fists. 'What girl?' To his surprise, he finally heard the fearsome entity speak at last, its voice so low that its words were almost garbled beyond recognition. "She's right here."

"Excellent, Iehog. It's always good to be prepared, and nothing says 'prepared' like a hostage or two." Iehik threw his head back and began to cackle. It was a demented, chirruping laugh that went on for much longer than should have been possible without needing breath. "Finally, everything's falling into place. It's about time we took our fate into our own hands."

After catching sight of the duo's hostage and recognizing her for who she really was, Kenshin suddenly didn't feel very tired at all.

* * *

The first coherent thought to enter Botan's mind as she came to was, 'Wait, what was I doing again? Where am I? Sheesh, I'll be forgetting my head next!' The ferry-girl blinked as she tried to remember what happened to her.

While she was unconscious and dragged around like a sack of potatoes care of the brusque Iehog, her astral projection separated from her body and went straight for Keiko's ghost. How she managed to rescue Yusuke's maybe-could-be girlfriend and the rest of her misadventures in the Spirit World was a story for another time, though.

She made a clucking sound with her tongue. 'Well, so much for the rumor about the fruit of knowledge's ability to cure forgetfulness! Heck, it seems like I've become even _more_ forgetful than before. My mind's all fuzzy.' She breathed a sigh of relief. She was perfectly glad that she didn't have to open the Pandora's box that was her past life. She rubbed her blurry eyes, focusing them on the ground where a smoldering, bright-red fireball caught her attention. 'Great! A fire! That's just what I need. It's so darn cold out here. Brrr.'

Her vision, as well as the haze in her psyche, soon cleared. 'Hey, wait a minute. That's no fireball. That's... hair!' Her heart skipped a beat at the sight. "K-Kenshin's hair! I mean, KENSHIN! What the heck are you doing down there?" she exclaimed. She soon faced the opposite direction and quirked an inquisitive eyebrow.

"Botan? Is that you?" Kenshin's wild, purple eyes widened in shock and horror. "Botan!"

But Botan wasn't paying attention to Kenshin's summons, her mind temporarily lost in its own thoughts. 'Down _there_? Hey, if he's down there, then what am I doing... up... here...?' Her gaze slowly drifted upward, towards the most repulsive thing she had ever seen in her entire afterlife. She shrieked.

"Er, hi!" Iehog anticlimactically warbled as he waved idly at his cargo, Botan, and ruined the horrifying effect he had going for him. Not at all heeding her captor's friendly greeting, the ferry-girl began kicking and screaming at the hideous beast, shouting, "Let go of me, you overgrown mutant, scaly, furry, yucky, THINGY! I MEAN IT!"

"Pipe down, bitch. I'll bash your head in again if you don't," Iehog suddenly raged, the air of his fearsome presence retuning as his deep, rumbling voice went an octave lower. Botan fell silent instantly; even a shinigami's fearless attitude towards death buckled under the aura of primal fear that Iehog generated. She bit her lip; it was all she could do to keep herself from screaming as feelings of terror and deja vu engulfed her. 'Wait... Deja vu?'

A muffled scream that insisted to be freed rose from Botan's covered mouth as she struggled to escape Iehog's grasp.

* * *

_The ferry-girl had been following the misadventures of the still-alive Kenshin, the strange kendo girl he seemed enamored with, an old manservant that looked oddly familiar to the shinigami, and a supposed fake Battousai for what felt like days. She figured out long ago that she was viewing Kenshin's past life, but she had no idea why or how this was happening at all._

_The girl Botan currently espied was reading a newspaper as a warm cup of tea simmered beside her. Without warning, the cup suddenly cracked: a recognizable sign of a bad omen._

_Kaoru. Yes, Kaoru Kamiya was the girl's name, Botan wordlessly confirmed to herself; though for some strange reason, an unexpected vision of unbearably cute, shape-shifting raccoons filled her overactive imagination. How peculiar. _

_'Who is this girl anyway? Was she one of the countless lost souls I've ferried across the Sanzu no Kawa while working as a novice ferry-girl a century ago? Hmmm. No, that can't be right. I was still recovering in the Elysian Fields during that time, and I'd only really started my duties some fifty, at most sixty, years ago, so I couldn't have met her before then! Still_..._'_

_Botan derailed her mental tirade as Kaoru looked down at the broken cup in noticeable concern. "Uh-oh. The cup just cracked by itself," the raven-haired girl affirmed the obvious while the blue-haired girl could only raise a blasé eyebrow at her ancient counterpart's... unnerving nonchalance. _

_"Miss Kaoru," Kihei suddenly beckoned, startling both the visible Kaoru and the invisible Botan into jumping in flabbergasted unison. _

_Just as Botan fruitlessly swung her wooden oar at Kihei's head in reflexive fury, the paddle passing through the old man as if it weren't there at all, Kaoru stuttered, "Y-You startled me, Kihei!" her mouth agape as her trembling left hand went over her palpitating chest. "What is it? What do you want?" _

_Kihei chortled softly as he held up a piece of paper in front of the kendo master. "Actually, it's about the sale of the dojo." Upon closer inspection, Botan observed that the paper was actually a deed of sale. _

_Kaoru exhaled laboriously; she'd already had this conversation with Kihei before. Patiently, she clarified, "Kihei, I've said before that I don't intend to sell the dojo_..._"_

_"Actually, the papers are already being settled," Kihei cut Kaoru off brusquely as his artificially congenial and self-satisfied smirk nearly split his face in half. _

_The intense look in Kihei's eyes startled Kaoru, and she found herself taken aback by her manservant's unexpected forwardness and gumption. A look of uncertainty and betrayal slowly marred on her lovely features as she quietly queried, "Kihei?"_

_"I just need your seal," Kihei insisted as he continued waving the deed in front of Kaoru's face. As if on cue, the large, beefy 'Battousai' swordsman from before, as well as a group of other random thugs and fighters, appeared outside the door behind him. "And then the property will be ours!"_

_"You traitorous old FART! You sold her out!" Botan growled angrily at the arrogant old-timer as she forgot herself, her albino-pink eyes flaring in seething rage. "After everything she's done for you? Dammit, you're no better than that big-headed Iehik snake_..._!" _

_The shinigami stopped herself cold, feeling as if she were on the verge of an epiphany of sorts. But she had no time to think; things were happening way too fast for her to fully comprehend the reality behind the dire turn of events._

_"You...!" Kaoru shouted as she got up from her seating position, immediately recognizing the humongous leader of the sword-wielding gang of swarthy ruffians._

_All eyes turned to see the humongous figure that had emerged from the doorway. He was a huge man; six-seven in height and at least two hundred pounds of muscle. He sported massive, tree-trunk arms and legs, as well as a curtain-like beard of sorts that made him look as ugly and fearsome as sin itself. He wasn't wearing any armor, but his muscular build was so intimidating that it looked like it could shatter a sword's edge on it like glass. On his shoulder lay an assassin's sword-cane blade twice as thick and long as normal._

_"Oh, my pardons! I haven't introduced this fine young gentleman yet. He is the head of the Kiheikan, Hiruma Gohei; my younger brother," Kihei stated with a hint of pride in his voice._

_Kaoru turned and snatched up the wooden sword from the rack behind them while Botan mused about the irony of not being able to put two and two together earlier on in regards to Kihei and the Kiheikan. Hindsight would do that to anyone, of course._

_"Oh please. Let's be civilized about this," Iehik rationalized affably to the now-armed Kaoru. "I really don't like this kind of thing. I'd rather do it legally, but you were close to discovering my brother's true identity. Playing the good-tempered old man to gain the trust of a woman living alone all went according to plan, but even though you turned out to be a good-natured sap, you were still stubborn about kenjutsu."_

_"Kihei," Kaoru whispered, which prompted Botan to give the distressed girl a weird look._

_"So then I used my brother to stir up some trouble and dishonor the name of the school. The fame of Hitokiri Battousai was just what we needed. Although the presence, or even existence, of the legendary manslayer was unbelievable, stories of his incomparable strength have been told for years. Thanks to him, we have the events of the past two months. According to my calculations, the government policies of 'culture and enlightenment' and 'westernization' should have boosted the land value by five or six times. A kendo dojo is simply a waste of space." _

_"Kihei..." Kaoru reiterated, which compelled Botan to scream, "Oh, for the love of...! JUST WHAP THE OLD GUY WITH YOUR BOKUTO AND BE DONE WITH IT, OKAY?"_

_An extensive, palpable silence hung across the dojo as Gohei lumbered over Kaoru's direction until he was standing no more than three feet away from her. "My brother says your motto is 'the sword that protects life'." He looked down at the smaller girl with enough contempt shining in his two eyes for any ten men. "Interesting. But here, the only one who needs protection is yourself."_

_Botan shuddered for a moment, a sudden memory of the monstrous Iehog's vacant and predatory eyes bubbling to the surface of her mind. This man was like that, only perhaps worse. For a mere human, there wasn't the faintest hint of compassion in his eyes. All they held was hunger and rage. Still, regardless of the imminent danger, the emboldened Kaoru remained where she was, her bokuto ready and waiting to strike. _

_"If you won't come to me, I'll go to you," Gohei avowed as he drew his own blade out._

_Kaoru lunged forward, but Gohei blocked her strike with his bare hand. Leering at his hapless adversary, the large man bellowed, "Just as I thought! A woman who believes this nonsense can't possibly fight." He pushed Kaoru and the wooden sword away, took hold of his own steel sword, and sliced downward._

_Botan distraughtly attempted to impede Gohei and Kihei's invasive rampage, but she knew deep down that her actions were all for nothing. This vision before her was but a mere memory, a shade of the past that was presently replaying itself inside her mind, and trying to interfere with its proceedings was as pointless as attempting to change the result of a videotaped event by the force of one's own will._

_Kaoru instinctively blocked the strike with her bokuto, which was sliced in half. Gohei then picked her up by the front of her shirt, snarling, "My goal is VIOLENCE! My essence is KILLING! That's what kenjutsu is all about!"_

_Like a sniveling rat, Kihei breathlessly took hold of Kaoru's thumb, nicked it with a small knife, and pressed it to the deed. "That's it. The land is ours. The Kamiya Kasshin School is _no more_!"_

* * *

"Iehog. Release her." The unsaid threat behind the swordsman's voice was readily obvious, a hint of golden fire slipping into his indigo eyes after he saw the monster's aura of terror render the ferry-girl completely paralyzed; or so he assumed, anyway. The person he had a psychic bond with was _Yusuke_, not Botan, after all.

"Long time, no see, Mister Guardian of the Demon Sword," Iehog remarked mockingly as he lifted the trembling Botan up on his bulging shoulders. "Don't you think so, big brother?"

"Indeed, it's been a while, Himura Kenshin. Or should I say 'Himura Battousai?'" Iehik asked as he cackled gleefully. "The time has come, Iehog! The time has finally come! He shall now get his comeuppance!"

"Yeah, and he'll get what's coming to him too!" Iehog proudly flexed both his scaly, reptilian arm and his furrier left arm. "Hot damn, big brother! Just look at me now. I'm a STUD! That scrawny little runt doesn't stand a chance!"

"Now, now, Iehog; we've already underestimated Battousai once before, and we can easily see that, at this point, he's still very much capable of handling Genbu-sama at the very least. Don't take him too lightly, brother," Iehik lightly admonished his titanic sibling.

Kenshin gingerly got up to his feet, his eyebrows furrowed in slight consternation. "You only witnessed a fraction of my power when I first fought against you two. Don't get any funny ideas."

Iehik choked back another peal of trite, hackneyed, and megalomaniacal laughter. "Ah, but of course. You have no idea just how intertwined our fates truly are. Well, I really can't blame you; after being stuck in a cave for several decades, even the sharp mind of a forever-earthbound ghost such as yourself can start to play tricks on him."

"My memory is just fine, thank you. What I don't understand is why you two have such a vendetta against me," Kenshin surmised as he kept his eyes trained on Botan's lithe, shivering form while Iehog kept her captive in a fireman's carry of sorts. "More to the point, I'm not exactly sure what it is you intend to do with me in the first place. At first, you came into the Sealing Cave to merely steal the Demon Sword and increase your power, but now you're attempting some sort of pithy, cockamamie scheme to... what? Kill me?"

"Kill you? Please," Iehik snorted as he waved off Kenshin's assessment with a chubby, clawed paw. The wizened demon's jaundiced eyes afterwards lit up in comprehension and understanding. "Oh. I see. You haven't the slightest idea what you really are, have you? You also don't know why you've been awakened _now_ of all times, do you?"

The portly demon mockingly wiped off a crocodile tear beneath his left eye. "You don't know who you really are, save for some vague memories from your past life; oh, you poor thing! I bet you don't even know why the Demon Sword had been put to 'sleep' in the Sealing Cave in the first place!"

For the first time in a long time... even when disregarding the fact that he had technically been slumbering in a cave for the past few decades or so... Kenshin had no ready answer, query, or pontification to the allegations hurled at him. He was at a loss for words, more so than when Genbu ridiculed him for being a mere ghost stuck in figurative limbo, because he knew deep down inside that Iehik was telling the truth.

Kenshin Himura was a man lost in time. To him, days had no meaning. He would have wasted away if not for the fact that he was already dead yet 'living' inside some sort of magical artifact, pursued by man and demon alike. Nevertheless, in partial disbelief of the supposed truth, the swordsman challenged Iehik's contention by demanding, "How can you two D-Level youkai possibly know who or what I am? Why should I trust you?"

"I admit, we mere _C_-Level demons have been leading a largely nomadic existence throughout all our lives, straying to and fro from Makai to Ningenkai in pointless abandon," Iehik snorted derisively as he made his feelings known about Kenshin's purported use of 'D-Level' as a 'racial' slur of sorts. "Still, one way or another, we somehow kept getting sucked into this Youtou Shinnoken business over and over again, whether we wanted to or not. Hell, if I didn't know any better, I'd say all this hullabaloo about that damned cursed weapon had something to do with... our fates, or even our destinies, almost."

Iehik's eyes waned into thin slits of cunning, intelligence, and out-of-place wistfulness as he resumed his lengthy, raspy diatribe, not caring in the least that he was giving his injured quarry ample time to recuperate while he rambled on and on; his soliloquy was something that he felt he had to get out of his chest, as though by talking about it, he'd somehow make sense of everything in his life.

"It became our passion, Iehog and I, to find more and more about the Legendary yet Infamous 'Demon Sword'; to the point where we actually became experts on the subject. For example, did you know that once upon a time, your sword actually had a nobler purpose than to simply increase the power of any demon who gets a hold of it? It was supposed to be a 'zanpakuto', a demon-cutting sword reserved for the very best of the Spirit World's Shinigami and Bouetai; that was, until it fell into the wrong hands and earned an entirely different reputation altogether. And thus the Demon Sword, from merely being a sword that slew demons, took on a whole different purpose and became a sword used _by_ demons! Oh, if you only knew about the countless, senseless massacres committed through that sword of yours!"

Kenshin was definitely taken aback by _that_; he always had a slight suspicion that the reason behind his sword's sealing was far less righteous than Koenma would purport. Though the details surrounding the events after his death were a bit blurry, he was fairly sure that the Spirit World Prince had no intention of creating an artifact using his swordsman's soul for the sole purpose of mindless violence.

Iehik grinned a fanged, sinister smile. "Judging from your worried expression, I gather that you now understand the gravity of your dire situation. The Demon Sword is a corruptible loose canon of a Reikai Artifact; even more so than the Legendary Orb of Baast, the Mirror of Forlorn Hope, or the Shadow Sword of Demonic Transformation. That ruthless side of yourself, the notorious Battousai, was the very thing that made the sword grow to be so unpredictable; _he_ and his murderous nature is the reason why the sword was sealed in a cave for Chojin-sama-knows-how-long."

Iehik started to walk in a manner eerily similar to how Koenma walked during the trial for Kenshin's soul. "Can you still keep up, son? Iehog and I, by now, have become renowned experts on all things regarding the Demon Sword; which was why Chojin-sama specifically hired us to find and retrieve it. We were supposed to steal the sword and do with it as we pleased. I admit, the promise of increased power backed by the Overfiend's unlimited resources was sorely tempting. Still, though that plan didn't exactly 'pan out', we still managed to stay in the big picture somehow."

Iehik gestured his chubby little hands in wide arcs to help demonstrate his point. "Do you get it now, spirit? We're merely completing our current mission for the Chojin... and our own life's mission as well... by getting a hold of that damned sword of yours, by hook or by crook. We don't need to kill you; all we really need to do is damn your pathetic soul by corrupting your sword in every way possible. That is our sole purpose in life, our ultimate DESTINY!"

Iehog frowned at Iehik apprehensively upon deciphering his older brother's rants and raves. "WHAT? That's IT? That's our sole purpose in life? To corrupt some wimpy-looking samurai to hell? That... that SUCKS, big brother!"

"Now, now, little brother: there are worse fates than _this_. Ours is but a lonely one shaped by revenge and unrequited anger, is all," Iehik articulated, nodding sagely to himself as he waved a clawed finger at his frustrated sibling. "Oh, by the way, Battousai-sama, we just saw your policeman friend arrive a short while ago. Seeing your current state right now, I'd say it's safe to assume that you two have already met."

The demon sniggered heartily. "You've now been severely weakened by fairly powerful beings, and your half-demon 'host' seems to have run out of power to keep your corporeal form intact. All these little things will make our job so much easier, and our revenge so much sweeter."

"Revenge? For what? For escaping your grasp and keeping the Demon Sword away from your grubby little demon hands? Then it's Yusuke-dono whom you should take revenge on, not me," Kenshin reasoned, thoroughly confused by the shorter demon's constant edification and desultory dialogue.

"Well, you're wrong about that," Iehik smirked as he shook his head and sniffed arrogantly at the redheaded ghost, his tone like that of a man speaking to a child who had totally missed the point. "You really don't understand a thing, Himura Kenshin. Aren't you wondering why I'm so familiar with you now of all times, while during the time we met at the Sealing Cave, I acted as if I didn't even know you at all? It's fate! I remember you now! You are my closure, my loose end, my final frontier! Ah, but you still don't understand, do you? Very well. It doesn't matter whether you know the truth or not. What's important is that we finish our mission, and fulfill our destiny. IEHOG!"

"YES, BIG BROTHER!" Iehog, under normal circumstances, was already quite the terrifyingly hideous creature from the get go. Today, he had somehow managed to surpass even that. While he wasn't as Brobdingnagian as an mountain-like, super-sized Genbu, the transformed Iehog was nonetheless intimidating in his own right... perhaps even more so.

With an inarticulate roar, Iehog threw Botan towards Kenshin and opened his humongous maw, unleashing a steady stream of black jaki fire unto his prey. The swordsman was blasted clear off of his feet just as he desperately caught and shielded the ferry-girl from the destructive wave of negative energy.

'A-An energy blast...?' Kenshin dazedly pondered before he fell on the ground in a muddy heap, shivering at the sheer intensity of the ebony miasma that burned through his ethereal skin. Botan tumbled just a few feet away from the simmering guardian spirit.

Despite her understandable fears and reservations for Kenshin's safety, Botan's eyes sparkled in animated comprehension once she started putting two and two together in regards to Iehog's newfound powers. "KENSHIN! That was the Mei-Kou-Shou-Kai-Ha! That was Byakko's attack, remember?" she eagerly called out to the prone swordsman.

"Wha... HEY! Shut up, you BITCH! You're ruining all our plans!" Iehik sputtered, surprised that the shinigami was able to figure things out so quickly. He desperately tried to grab hold of the impertinent wench, doing all that he could to silence her, but seeing that he was at least a foot shorter than the ferry-girl, his awkward attempts at maintaining the status quo were all for naught.

"I remember now! Before these creeps knocked me out cold, they were scoping out the carcasses of Seiryu and Byakko. That coward Iehog is simply borrowing those two dead Shisejyu's abilities while passing them off as his own! HEY! You did NOT just TOUCH my BUTT, you PERVERT! BAD TOUCH! BAD TOUCH! SUFFER AND DIE, YOU DARN, LECHEROUS MONKEY!" Botan seethed before she started repeatedly whacking the troll-like Iehik with the business end of her boat paddle in righteous indignation.

"Mei-Kou-Shou-Kai-Ha, hmmm? I see." Kenshin nodded to himself in mute understanding. This time, he knew what to do. His only hope now, he reckoned, was to go on the offensive and build up the pressure. He roared a battle cry, his kenki independently flaring anew despite Yusuke's lack of energy, and pressed his attack as Iehog worked his way towards him again.

Without wasting his breath to broadcast the name of his technique, Kenshin immediately launched into the Sou Ryu Sen, purposely pounding his foe twice with the concussive battoujutsu strikes. He fought on the inside, pressuring Iehog with closed-quarter combat and not letting him move in a comfortable enough distance to launch the Mei-Kou-Shou-Kai-Ha. The behemoth staggered and howled amidst the assault, giving ground under the might of the swordsman's superior skills.

The ruthless brute lashed out defensively, cutting a deep gash in Kenshin's right arm at mid-strike. He followed it up with a backhanded blow that caught the swordsman on the head, breaking the rhythm of his attack and sending him staggering backwards. Kenshin tried to counter with a quick Ryu Kan Sen, but was met with another jarring blow on the chest. He flew backwards like a rag doll, slamming into a tree and shattering the wood with the force of his impact.

That was exactly what happened, except for the whole 'flung like a rag doll whilst shattering wood' part: Kenshin had already faded like the ghost that he was by the time the abomination started the rest of his counterstrike. Taking advantage of Iehog's momentary confusion, Kenshin crouched low and dove into the youkai's abdomen, cutting precise spots on its exposed underbelly with surgical precision.

Iehog shook his mane and roared a throaty bellow that caused even more dirt to shake loose and tumble onto the former vagabond. His previously unseeing eyes afterwards blinked back into painful self-awareness

Iehog knelt in the crater made by the impact of the explosive rupture of his blood vessels, his body crumpled, his stolen arms outstretched. For a seemingly never-ending moment, he was frozen in a world of unbelievable shock and agony.

"YES! You did it, Kenshin! You beat Iehog!" Botan applauded the former manslayer after dispatching the shorter Iehik with a quick swing of her wooden oar. "BANZAI! We make such a great team, you and I. Say, weren't you and the Demon Sword supposed to be a Reikai Artifact used by us shinigami? Well, I'm a shinigami too, so maybe I can fool around with your sword sometime! Uh, wait, that didn't come out quite right..."

Kenshin smiled, turned, and opened his mouth to say something in response to Botan's good cheer when the air was split by a blood-curdling shriek. It was a primal scream; a cry of pure torment that seemed to carry on for perpetuity before it was suddenly cut short.

"You've meddled in our affairs for the last time, _shinigami_," Iehik gravely informed the shell-shocked Botan as he used his psychic powers to simulate some sort of Kanashibari mind-breaking technique upon her person. "It's about time you made yourself useful and served your true purpose for being here; as _bait_."

Botan's ki turned black. The air grew cold around her as her body frantically tried to fill the void in her soul with warmth from her surroundings. There were some voids that couldn't be filled, however; some problems that kept returning after they were solved; second chances to make a bad decision.

"BOTAN!"

* * *

_Just then, amidst a proverbial, dramatic hymn that couldn't possibly be heard by anyone present, a trembling thug appeared in the Kamiya dojo's doorway; not exactly the person Botan was looking for. 'DAMMIT!' she cursed._

_"Huh? Nishiwaki? What're you doing here?" the slightly vexed Gohei demanded, caught completely unaware by his subordinate's unexpected visit. "Did something happen in Kiheikan? Hey, what's wrong with you? Speak up, man!"_

_"...Strong! S-So strong...!" Nishiwaki mumbled before he shuddered and collapsed like a shanty's flimsy roof, revealing the red-haired, cross-scarred vagabond from behind him._

_"It's the rurouni!" Kaoru and Botan both gasped in relieved chorus, as though the weight of the world was suddenly lifted from their shoulders. _

_Kenshin turned towards the girls and scratched the back of his head shamefacedly. "I'm sorry I'm late. I heard the whole story from him." _

_"You again," Gohei spat as he callously tossed Kaoru aside and leveled his sword at the diminutive wanderer. "Seeing as how wimpy-looking you are, you're probably with the girl on this 'sword that protects life' thing."_

_"No," Kenshin declared austerely. "A sword is a weapon. Kenjutsu is the art of killing. Whatever pretty words you use to speak of it, this is its true nature. What Kaoru-dono says are the words of one who has never dirtied her hands; an idealistic joke."_

_"You..." Kaoru started, bristling with halfhearted displeasure as Botan attempted to calm her down in trademark Kenshin fashion_... _right down to the reassuring hand gestures_... _even though it was all probably in vain anyway. The ferry-girl would go crazy if didn't at least _pretend_ that the people around her could see her._

_"But I like Kaoru-dono's idealism better than kenjutsu's true nature. If it's not too much to ask, I would want the world to accept this joke as its true nature," Kenshin justified further, allaying Kaoru's hot temper and making the harried Botan wistfully smile._

_"Urk. How lame. You guys make me sick." Gohei rolled his eyes, turned, then asked his older sibling for advice. "Brother, you don't care if I kill him, do you?"_

_Kihei harrumphed. "No. He's in our way. Have your men turn him into mulch."_

_"Well, you heard the man! Go on, get him!" Gohei more cooed than howled; subsequently, his collection of thugs and gangsters did just that, moving en masse towards Kenshin with conceited insouciance, feeling completely secure in their superior numbers and perceived sword skills. _

_"Run for it! You have no chance against them all!" Kaoru worriedly called out to Kenshin while Botan did the exact opposite and screeched, "KICK THEIR BUTTS, Kenshin! Make 'em run back to their mommas!" _

_"I don't want to cause a lot of unnecessary injuries. All those who don't like visiting the doctor should retreat now," Kenshin warned, though it was completely understandable why the hooligans in front of him didn't back down a single inch. A short, girlish-looking man with an effeminate voice and disarmingly genial demeanor was currently claiming that he could take them all down with his blunted little sword; a yapping Chihuahua would probably look more dangerous than him. _

_"There aren't going to be any injuries! Just one death!" one of the men retorted, thus setting up another cosmic instance of irony. _

_Kenshin blurred and moved like a whirlwind through the group, taking down everyone in his way. Like the steady flow of a river against rocks that found themselves stranded in the middle of its torrential current, the number of blows added up and wore the men down. Large purple bruises formed on the part of their chests that were bared. Welts then appeared on their arms from the number of times Kenshin had sneaked a blow in when they tried to hit him with one of their own. Even their legs were starting to go limp from the number of times Kenshin struck them. _

_What was even more amazing was that everything happened in the span of a few seconds. "H-He's taking out four or five with each strike! Is... is it sorcery?" Kihei hissed, acting as if he were experiencing a live birth in reverse._

_'No, it's not sorcery. It's speed!' Kaoru and Botan simultaneously appraised, the latter more certain of Kenshin's mind-boggling abilities than the former._

_'The speed of the sword, the speed of his body, the speed of reading his opponent's moves_... _he's using them to bring down as many as he can with the least possible movements! Who is this guy?' Gohei reflected ex post facto; an eye blink later, and every last one of the Kiheikan's elite fighters had been laid out on the floor._

_"I forgot to say one thing," Kenshin remarked as he quietly replaced his sword into its scabbard. "Hitokiri Battousai's style of fighting is not that of the Kamiya Kasshin School. It's an old style of kenjutsu that arose in the Sengoku era, designed to face many opponents at once. The name is Hiten Mitsurugi. And without the reverse blade, it is slaughter with deadly swiftness."_

_Kaoru's knees buckled underneath her as she whispered, "No. So you're the Hitokiri Battousai. Wait, so I was right from the very start? Huh." _

_"Fascinating! You were hiding your strength the other night!" Gohei salivated like a rabid dog, feeling strangely exhilarated by Kenshin's revelation._

_Kenshin flinched at Gohei's sordid display of enthusiasm, closed his eyes, then shook his head sadly. "I'm not like you. I don't like violence. But now I regret that I did not destroy you that night." _

_"You've got guts, but that's just plain arrogant." Gohei raised his sword high. "The world doesn't need two Battousais! The name should belong to ME!"_

_Just as Gohei was about to strike, his target seemed to disappear into thin air. From on top of him, the younger Hiruma heard a voice say, "Up here." The gigantic swordsman froze in terror_... _and then the world went spinning as a heavy weight crashed into his back and onto the floor. Before he could even exhale, much less scream, and in a lesser extent look up, Battousai dealt him a powerful blow from above, smashing him through the dojo's wooden boards in dramatic fashion._

_"I have no fondness for the name of Battousai, but I will not pass it on to a man like you." Kenshin turned his attentions towards Kihei. "You're the only one left. As the mastermind of this plot, your punishment should be more severe. The edge of the reverse blade_..._" He flipped the sakabatou around. "Shall we try it?"_

_Kihei fainted; Kenshin then took the deed from the old man's grubby, wrinkled hands and tore it up. "Like all tricksters, he seems to have a coward's nature." The vagabond afterwards gulped, steeled himself, and faced the bewildered Kaoru Kamiya._

* * *

"BOTAN!" Kenshin screamed, his eyes turning amber as he withdrew his Youtou Shinnoken from its enchanted sheath and jumped straight for Iehik; in his mind's eye, a brief flashback of Jine Udou freezing Kaoru Kamiya's lungs and making her slowly suffocate played itself over and over again inside his psyche.

Even though he wasn't able to utilize the full power of the Battousai for the sake of a duel with Goro Fujita, he'd damn well do so in order to protect his loved ones. 'I will not fail. Just like in the past, I'd die first before I let anyone hurt the ones I care about!'

Time seemed to slow to a halt for the swordsman as he lithely somersaulted behind Iehik, catching the witless youkai completely off-guard. The wizened old monster didn't even get a chance to look behind him, much less flinch in terror, as the mighty Demon Sword descended upon his exposed cranium, its blade custom-tailored to slice through all sorts of demons with speedy precision that defied both logic and reason.

"BIG BROTHER!" the paralyzed Iehog cried out in anguish a moment later, not quite sure what exactly happened to his precious older sibling, but panicking all the same once he noticed that something was wrong.

However, in the corner of Kenshin's eye, just as the kaleidoscope flash of afterimages so typical of the guardian's speediest attacks started to form, a cloaked figure covered in shadow suddenly appeared and stole the sword-strike's thunder with a surge of black malevolence.

'Who is that?' Kenshin asked himself in alarm.

* * *

_"I'm sorry, Kaoru-dono," Kenshin said softly in the hopes that it would settle Kaoru down, his tone full of sincere regret and guilt. "I didn't want to deceive or hide from you. My true identity was just something I didn't want to talk about if I could." Hearing her lack of a response, he turned and slid the door leading outside open. "Excuse me." _

_Kaoru waited for all of five seconds before she stammered, "Wait... w-wait... WAIT ONE MINUTE!"_

_Kenshin did a hesitant double-take. "Oro?" _

_Strangely enough, Kaoru's attention wasn't directed on Kenshin at all. It was currently aimed at absolute nothingness, on something that wasn't supposed to exist in that plain of reality in the first place; i.e., the self-proclaimed "Loveliest Death Angel of All the Spirit World", Botan. "Hey! Blue-haired girl... Yeah, I'm talking to you, Pink Eyes!" _

_'Pink Eyes' blinked soundly, then sweatdropped. Trite and hackneyed as these actions were, blinking and dropping sweat were exactly what Botan did at the time. "Whaa?" she mouthed before she let out a panicked squeal as Kaoru took hold of her wooden oar and pointed it at her neck. "Huh? HUH? Y-You can SEE me, K-K-Kaoru... san?"_

_"Oh-ho! So you thought you can hide from me, eh? Little Miss Pink and Blue..." Kaoru accused as she slithered her way into Botan's personal space with a disturbing cackle, wielding the awkward-looking boat paddle like a long, wooden version of a naginata. "But you CAN'T! No, no, no, no... No. Don't speak, _listen_," the relatively younger girl shushed after spotting a flicker of resistance in the aged shinigami's eyes. "I've been watching you, and I've seen some fairly disturbing stuff from you and your 'exchanges' with the vagabond, you li'l harlot!" _

_"...Stuff? 'Exchanges'? _H-Harlot_?" Botan squeaked incredulously just as Kenshin slid the dojo door shut and apprehensively made his way towards the mentally 'unhinged' Kaoru. Of course, it was only natural that it was now _his_ turn to sweatdrop; it just wouldn't be proper otherwise. "Er, Kaoru-dono. Who are you talking to? And, um, maybe you should get some rest. It's been a long day."_

_Kaoru took one look at Botan, then at Kenshin, then at Botan again, then put a dainty hand over her mouth to hide her laugh. In a singsong voice, she related, "I knew what you did during the time Kenshin first got to see Modern-Day Tokyo; it was real cute, the whole 'Welcome back home, Kenshin!' thing... but that shtick should have been mine, and _you_ totally ripped it off, you flirtatious TROLLOP!" She moved in closer, which prompted Botan to move back a couple of more inches. "I've had this funny feeling about you two from the get go, and let me just say this outright; FORGET IT! Hands off _my_ KENSHIN!"_

_"Um, when did you find out about my name? I haven't given it to you yet," Kenshin ventured curiously, going into full 'peacemaker' mode as Kaoru continued to close in on the empty space in front of her; the empty, embarrassed, and furiously blushing space, to be exact. _

_"Eh?" Botan reacted most interestingly to Kaoru's words, her pale face shifting to variegating shades of red; from embarrassed pink, to fuming scarlet, to indignant burgundy. "I-It's not like that at all! I mean, Himura-san's a nice guy and stuff, b-but... I don't think of him _that_ way! NO! Nuh-uh. An affair between a ferry-girl and an earthbound spirit simply won't cut it in Reikai!"_

_Kaoru stared at Botan with half-lidded eyes. "So he's 'Himura-san' now, isn't he? Well, _Kenshin_ already has enough ex-girlfriend issues as is, and I for one have no intention of becoming his Yukishiro Tomoe number two!" she imparted as she tossed her pony-tailed hair to the side and thrust her finger in front of the ferry-girl's nose._

_"..." Kenshin elucidated, floored and nonplussed by the non-sequitur mention of his former fiancée._

_"I don't even know what you're talking about!" Botan protested as she did her best to keep her distance from the sword-_... _well, paddle-_... _wielding madwoman. 'This isn't happening! I must be going crazy! Just who is this girl anyway? What does she have to do with my life? Why am I remembering her memories, and dreaming her dreams? She couldn't possibly be part of my repressed past; she just couldn't!'_

_Kaoru flicked the tip of Botan's nose with the finger she used to silence her. "Pay attention, sister. Listen and listen well: The only way I can possibly forgive you for your trespasses and out-and-out flirting with _my_ Kenshin is for you to_..._" And so Kaoru Kamiya dispatched her final ultimatum on the cowed shinigami._

_Botan couldn't believe her ears. "Huh? Come again? I didn't catch that last part_... _Oh, and the first part too." And so Kaoru Kamiya leisurely repeated what she just said syllable-per-syllable, leaving no room for doubt and confusion on Botan's part._

_The ferry-girl tilted her head to the side as she clumsily shifted on her sandaled feet. "Oh, is that all? I'd ask why, but... Eh. Whatever." The death goddess shrugged, coughed primly, inhaled, then incessantly chanted, "Iehik!" over and over again._

_"Now say the name of that other guy; the big, bulky demon that can merge with other monsters." Not bothering to ask Kaoru how she knew of Iehog, Botan merely complied to the girl's wishes, renewing her mantra with a fresh peal of "Iehog!" _

_"LOUDER! I can't _hear_ you!" Kaoru commanded, her arms crossed in defiant audaciousness. _

_"IEHIKIHEI!" Botan squeezed her eyes shut, screeched her throat ragged, hacked like a cat, doubled back, and resumed, "IEHOGOHEI... Goheiehog. G-Gohei... Iehog. Kihei... Iehik. Gohei. Kihei. Iehog. Iehik. GOHEI. KIHEI. Oh my...!"_

_Botan's pinkish eyes widened in sublime, uplifting comprehension as her long-awaited epiphany finally happened. "Those bumbling demons that Kenshin fought _are_ Hiruma Gohei and Hiruma Kihei! GOHEI AND KIHEI ARE IEHOG AND IEHIK!" _

* * *

**To be Continued...**

_Next: Iehog and Iehik._

First off, the thing Iehik was blabbering about in regards to the Demon Sword being an instrument of destruction is purposely vague. Was he citing a rumor about the sword? Did what he said happen after Kenshin was first sealed by Koenma? You'll have to read on to find out. Secondly, the flashback parts are obviously taken wholesale from Maigo-chan's translation of the Ruroken manga, so much props to her as well as to Watsuki-sensei.

_Paalam!_  
**Abdiel**


	13. Chapter 12

_"He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into the abyss, the abyss gazes also into you."_

(Friedrich Nietzche)

* * *

**Youtou Shinnoken: Demon Sword**

A Yuyu Hakusho/Rurouni Kenshin fic  
by Chester Castañeda

Original concept by Chad Yang

Yusuke's true battle is not with Rando, but with his own inimitable sadness.

_Disclaimer: Yuyu Hakusho is the rightful property of Yoshihiro Togashi, Shueisha, Fuji TV and St. Pierrot. Rurouni Kenshin is the rightful property of Nobuhiro Watsuki and Sony. This disclaimer also covers all the other copyrighted material that are far too many to mention here. Don't sue me please, I'm very poor._

* * *

**Chapter 12: Over the Horizon (Part 6)**

* * *

Kenshin landed on the ground and jumped away as Iehik stood stock-still, paralyzed and trembling. Then, without warning, a spray of greenish black ichor squirted out from a vertical slash that ran from the demon's head to his crotch. His body slowly peeled apart, like Rumpelstiltskin after hearing his name told to him, and fell into two neat halves onto the mucky ground. The swordsman wanted to pull his strike back at the last minute, but he ultimately decided that he'd rather risk damnation and madness in order to keep Botan's mind from breaking apart. He had no other choice; all the other times he hesitated, somebody else had to pay the price.

Consequently, Iehik's psychic version of Kenshin's Kanashibari technique ceased to be, and suddenly Botan could breathe again. She collapsed onto her hands and knees, gasping and coughing, half-relieved and half-horrified at the curious circumstances surrounding her release, retching at the awful taste in her mouth. She willed her eyes to fly wide open, but her body still felt like lead; fear, apprehension, and an assortment of other emotions engulfed her as she woke up from her weird... for lack of an appropriate, precise term... dream.

"BOTAN! I was so worried! Are you all right?" the ferry-girl heard Kenshin call out in the periphery of her clouded mind. Her heart pounded excitedly in her chest, her pulse racing to a frenzied uproar, but everything eventually slowed down as she willed herself to relax. She let out a liberating breath to further calm her worn nerves and throbbing heart. Once she reached her familiar 'happy place', she recalled the very last thing she realized before waking up from her aforementioned trance.

"Kenshin! Those bumbling idiot youkai are Hiruma Gohei and Hiruma Kihei! GOHEI AND KIHEI ARE IEHOG AND IEHIK!" Botan elucidated quite loudly, yet her resolve seemingly faltered in mid-speech, as though she were unsure of what she was saying; hearing those strange words come out of her own mouth just now made her realize how bizarre and ridiculous her revelation was.

Iehog reeled at Botan's words, looking at her in enthralled shock while silently mouthing the words, 'How did you know...?'

Kenshin's feral eyes widened in surprise as he quirked an eyebrow of askance and incredulity at the reawakened Reikai Shinigami. "Iehik and Iehog are the Hiruma brothers? I don't believe it." Intrigued, the redhead turned towards the blue-haired girl and further queried, "More importantly, just _how_ did you know who the Hiruma brothers are? I don't believe I've mentioned them to you."

"Uh, well, funny story that's, um, kind of _involved_, but I guess I've somehow, I don't know, 'read' either your mind or those two demons' minds at a key moment? You know Kamiya Kaoru, right? She's the one who hit me with a clue-by-four and pointed out Iehog and Iehik's true identities! Or at least she did so in my dreams." The ferry-girl pouted. "I'm glad she helped me out, but she had quite the attitude, honestly speaking! I wonder what her problem was."

Kenshin merely gawked at the spectacle that Botan made of herself, his confused stare and darting eyes mentally forcing... begging... the somewhat ditzy angel of death to focus on the topic at hand. "Um, Botan? About Kaoru and the Hiruma brothers...?"

The flabbergasted ferry-girl shrugged and relented to Kenshin's clipped inquiry by simply stating, "I ate the fruit from the tree of knowledge," as though it explained everything that needed to be explained concerning the current situation. "Again, it's a long story, but the fruit with the long name is probably the reason why I dreamed about Kaoru-san, the Hiruma brothers, and all your other past memories... or something. Either that or I've somehow gained access to death god powers I didn't know I possessed until now, which is even more unlikely."

Kenshin didn't quite understand a word Botan was blabbering, but he felt that he _at least_ had a rough gist of an explanation to work with, in any case. He would've loved to ask the death goddess a few more questions in regards to her out-of-character knowledge of the alleged 'true' identities of his current opponents, but he had more pressing matters to attend to. For one thing, he felt a surge of jaki suddenly envelop Iehik's remains at that very instant.

Fortunately or unfortunately, the uneventful death of Iehik... formerly known as Kihei Hiruma... was not meant to be. Unbidden, the vaguely human-shaped specter Kenshin espied earlier... approximately ten feet in height and covered in a dark, frayed, and hooded cloak that revealed only grey, decayed hands... stepped forward and bathed himself with the sinful aura of choleric negative energy.

"What was torn apart, now be whole; let two become one!" the wraith-like form's deep, booming voice enunciated as a sheer waterfall of negative energy power swallowed Iehik's remains up in a black torrent of miasmic smog. Without delay, the split-in-twain youkai started to cleanly fuse together, his halves merging like they were made of clay. The damaged parts of his muscles, skin tissue, tendons, and bones regenerated, and Iehik was reborn. Or reborn for a second time, if what Botan revealed were to be believed.

Iehog wanted to celebrate his brother's quick return and recovery, but seeing that he was crippled from the neck down at the moment, he instead opted to greet, "Big brother! Welcome back! I'm so glad that you're still alive!" The bearded beast afterwards blinked. "Big brother? What...?"

Because there were so many things happening at once, Kenshin barely kept up with the many twists and turns of the recent events. Yet upon further inspection of the cloaked figure, one word escaped his lips: "Onmyouji."

The ghastly apparition spared Kenshin a token glance before hissing, "Close enough, spirit; I guess you can call me an 'onmyouji', though the powers I possess are hardly the result of onmyoudou spiritual training." Even though the redheaded swordsman couldn't see the supposed onmyouji's face beneath his ratty cowl, he could tell that there was a hint of a smirk in his raspy voice.

The Onmyouji moved closer towards Kenshin, reeking of the aura of death, decay, and the terrible power of jaki possessed by all the Shisejyu present, only multiplied a hundredfold. "As Rando had so eloquently surmised when I visited him yesterday, I am merely the conduit of the Chojin's power; I am the one who distributes his overflowing energy to all his warriors. So, in essence, I am here to merely assist his minions with their various tasks, and nothing more."

Kenshin's head felt dizzy with the sheer wealth of facts and details he'd just received, nearly to the point of experiencing information overload. "You were with Rando before? So you're the one who gave him and the other demons the jaki they needed to launch this attack in the first place? The Chojin's agent of chaos?"

"The very same," the Onmyouji proudly affirmed, his featureless face seemingly staring into the depths of Kenshin's exposed soul with its outwardly nonexistent eyes. "Oh my, but your perceptiveness have stayed sharp even after all these years, Battousai."

Kenshin warily backed away from the Onmyouji and narrowed his eyes into slits, peering at the stranger in the same piercing manner. "Who are you? I keep getting the feeling that we've met before."

The Onmyouji barked with shrill laughter. "A little too perceptive, I see." Subsequently, while converting the evil energy of his master into demonic power for Iehik to use, the stranger hovered towards the revived demon's direction, only to pause in slight puzzlement. "What's happened to you, Iehik? Speak up, minion!"

Curious, Botan moved towards Iehik's still body, examining it for a bit before exclaiming, "Iehik's not responding, and he's not breathing either!" She closed her eyes for a moment, put her hand on the demon's chest, concentrated, then stated, "I-I'm not sure what's going on, but I can't feel a spirit inside this body. This demon is dead, or at least brain-dead."

"That can't be. I resurrected him perfectly!" the Onmyouji protested, irritated and perplexed, before he hesitated yet again. After a second or two of contemplation, he snorted and said in a half-surprised, half-impressed tone, "Huh. It seems that we've all been duped by these Class-D demons. The slain youkai that I've revived was nothing more than a mere shell of himself. I've grossly underestimated their power."

"A mere shell?" Kenshin repeated before murmuring, "Iehog." The name was said with nothing more than a whisper, but all three of them turned towards the last remaining demon brother as a result of it.

"Big brother," Iehog drooled in dazed wonderment, stuck in an epileptic trance with only the whites of his convulsing eyes showing as what appeared to be a sentient brain settled on the very top of the beast's head. The foreign body's nerve endings entered all the nearby pores of the demon's scalp until it was firmly wedged unto its host's skull. "Is that you, big brother?"

"Yes, it's me," Iehog answered his own question in a higher-pitched yet courser voice, as though his words were spoken by a different person altogether; Iehik, to be exact. The bulky youkai afterwards turned towards the mantle-wearing interloper. "As you can see, 'Onmyouji', we have no more need of your services. We can handle things on our own; tell the Chojin that our mission is as good as done."

"Humph. You arrogant bastards," the Onmyouji retorted, but his halfhearted insult came with an inappropriate hint of amusement, strangely enough. "Do as you wish, then." And with just that, the cloaked figure vanished into a human-shaped silhouette of wispy black smoke. But before either Kenshin or Botan could react, Iehik spoke through Iehog again.

"So Battousai, you already know the truth about me and my brother. It's just as well, since this'll make things much simpler. Yes, your hunch is correct; our paths have crossed before the Demon Sword even existed. We are the very same Hiruma brothers that you've defeated and humiliated in the distant past." Veins, or what looked like veins, began to spread and pulsate all over Iehog's body, clearly visible on the chimera's non-scaled skin.

"We didn't recognize you when we first met in the Cave of the Demon Sword because we really didn't know about our past lives at the time." Soon, the collection of body parts gradually regained their mobility and locomotion... the web of 'veins' was probably abnormally large nerves from the living brain that currently housed Iehik's soul. Even as the disembodied demon spoke, he concurrently worked overtime to undo the damage wrought upon his brother's hefty frame care of Kenshin and his Youtou Shinnoken.

"Slowly but surely, even as our threads of fate intertwined around each other yet again, we've pieced together our forgotten history and became aware of how big an impact you've had in our life, Battousai. Isn't that right, Miss Death Goddess?" Iehik and Iehog growled the last line of dialogue together in velvety chorus and just a hint of belligerence.

Botan blinked, stared about her, and then pointed at herself in askance. "Who, me? What do I have to do with this? I only dreamed about your stupid memories! Otherwise, I have nothing to do with you and your past lives."

Iehik-Iehog huffed disdainfully, looking at Botan with half-lidded eyes. "It was _your_ Spirit World that sealed our fate about a century ago. What are you, a shinigami trainee? Look it up in your Book and Fate and see what that damn toddler did to us, novice!"

Botan frowned petulantly before rummaging through the insides of her pink kimono and retrieving the Book of Fate. She leafed through the pages and found the Hiruma brothers' names. "Hmmm. I'll just give a brief summary of the proceedings. For all his reckless schemes and scams that victimized and even killed a lot of people, Hiruma Kihei should've been sentenced to go to Level 18 Block 4 of the Corporeal Punishments Sector, where he'd be frozen in a block of ice and bent in all sorts of positions while a large, three-headed devil chewed him apart."

Botan shuddered, and then turned the page. "For all the people that he'd fought, injured, and murdered, Hiruma Gohei should've been sentenced to go to Level 14 Block 1 of the Corporeal Punishments Sector located in the banks of the swamp-like middle fork of the River Styx, where he had to fight other wrathful people for an eternity while the sullen and slothful lay at their feet, gurgling in the water." She stated the run-on sentence in one breath.

The ferry-girl paused as she peered into the barely legible footnotes of the Hiruma brothers' verdict. "But since Hiruma Kihei wanted to con and swindle his way out of his 'legal' troubles, Koenma-sama got really pissed and reincarnated the both of them into low-class demons instead by using the special rule where all demon-related verdicts can be done under Reikai jurisdiction. Huh." She closed the Book of Fate. "Too bad Reikai conquered Meikai, or else you two wouldn't have been reincarnated as demons, huh?"

"Yeah. Too bad," Iehik sardonically hissed through clenched teeth as he shakily rose from the ground, finally finding the strength to stand on his brother's own two feet. "But that isn't where the story ends. Oh no. As low-class demons, we've suffered through countless abuses from youkai of higher class in Makai. We had to seek refuge in Ningenkai, where we were instead persecuted by Reikai's Elite Spirit Detectives. In reality, no place in all the three worlds was safe for us to exist."

With a forlorn, faraway look, the creature growled in a gravelly voice that was unmistakably Iehog's, "But what was even sadder was the fact that we had no idea what to do with our lives. It was as if we were wandering around with no particular purpose to follow. Our lives felt quite empty, actually."

Kenshin was well-aware of the fact that his amalgamated enemies were merely stalling for time as they said their peace, relating in a lengthy monologue what could literally be their entire life... or afterlife, as the case may be... story. Nevertheless, morbid fascination led him to carry on listening to the extensive diatribe. 'Hiruma Gohei and Hiruma Kihei; I would've never imagined them to go to these extreme lengths just to exact their revenge upon me. Never in a million years.'

'It's almost time,' Iehik thought before continuing, "Yes, our existence was hollow and meaningless up until the point where a powerful being named 'Chojin' recruited us and several other minor demons to search for the so-called Demon Sword. He took particular interest in me and my brother, especially since, as I've told you earlier, we'd already become experts on the subject of Youtou Shinnoken lore. In return for our loyal services, the Chojin generously promised to unlock our memories of our past lives and reveal the role that the Reikai played to damn our present existence. Well, here are now, many years later, face-to-face with our mortal nemesis, feeling as though we're meeting each other for the first time all over again."

Botan shivered. There was a dread chill down her spine that didn't quite coincide with the temperature around them... she felt the touch of frost-fingered death that would make even a shinigami pause. 'Something big is about to happen.'

"You've got to hand it to the Chojin to specifically pick _us_ for that particular task. The sly devil! I wouldn't even be surprised if he did it purposely from the very start!" The chimera stretched and flexed his limbs as a sort of warm-up routine, which prompted Kenshin to fall into his favored battoujutsu ready stance. "We may not look like much, Battousai, but now that we've fully realized our real identities from past to present, we've finally found our true purpose in life. Do not underestimate the power of those who have nothing more to lose but everything to gain. There's no tomorrow for us, and that makes us very dangerous people!"

Kenshin cautiously circumnavigated around the recovering monster and his ever-growing corona of indigo energy before affirming, "I get it. You've been manipulated by the Chojin to find the Demon Sword because he knows your past history with me. He expects you to do everything in your power... and perhaps even beyond that... to exact vengeance upon me and the Spirit World without the least bit of effort on his part." The former rurouni harrumphed. "So the Chojin is the kind of person that lets other people do his dirty work for him? I'm disgusted."

"Are you really that much of an idiot? For you to assume that our little confrontation is because of something as simple as petty revenge leaves _us_ disgusted!" Iehik-Iehog spat as they willed their body to shamble forward, creating small pits of buckling rock underneath the soles of their clawed feet. "We know the truth of our existence now! Revenge is not enough! Defeating you is not enough! Hell, even corrupting the Demon Sword until you've lost all remnants of your human soul won't satisfy us! Your punishment will know no limits, BATTOUSAI!"

From there, the fused Hiruma Brothers barreled forward earnestly.

'At last, they've decided to attack. Finally,' Kenshin reflected as he patiently braced himself for the expected assault from the fully recovered and passionate hodgepodge demon.

'Let me show you how to access the true powers of the Shisejyu,' Iehik whispered to Iehog's mind before they lunged at Kenshin with alternating blows from both Seiryu's scaly dragon arm and Byakko's muscular tiger paws. Their initial salvo was impressive, turning the surrounding landscape around Kenshin into heaps and heaps of crumbling dust clods.

'Kenshin's going to be all right. The chill down my spine is just my back feeling the jitters of 'pins and needles' from being carried by that oaf Iehog for so long. These losers are no match against Kenshin! He's going to be all right. That is, please be all right; please kick their collective butts the same way you did in my dream. Or in your memory, as the case may be,' Botan beseeched to no one in particular as she intently watched the ensuing fireworks.

Kenshin knew beforehand that his opponents would be coming towards him recklessly, completely disregarding the fact that he could read moves through malicious intent alone. As such, he obliged their gamble as he waited unwearyingly to counter the all-too-familiar wide swings, sharp thrusts, and brain-rattling haymakers that Iehog attacked him with earlier.

The swordsman arched his body slightly back to the left, countered with a right-lead left strike to the body, sidestepped to perform his left-right sword swing, and then finished with another lateral move to execute a backhanded rising slash to his opponent's blindside. He afterwards disappeared from view before the monster knew what had happened to him.

Unlike before, when the beastly Iehog let himself get overtaken by the mindless rage and belligerent feelings of his Frankenstein mishmash of conflicting demonic body parts, Iehik's brain power and methodical thinking muffled down those very instincts. Unfortunately, this caused the compound monster to slow down a bit compared to his unyielding brutality and physics-defying acrobatics earlier, his movements somewhat hampered by hesitation and self-consciousness. Too much intellect and the body parts' powers faded; too little control and the body parts' malice took over.

But having a presence of mind during battle certainly had its perks. For one thing, Iehik's scheme of replicating Iehog's tactics had lulled Kenshin into a false sense of security, which meant that the swordsman himself had let his instincts take over, falling into his oh-so-very-predictable pattern of ending all his counterattacks with one of several variations of the Ryu Kan Sen or...

'He's there! Up in the sky! Doing his favorite Ryu Tsui Sen maneuver! FIRE AT HIM WITH THE FULL FORCE OF THE MEI-KOU-SHO-KAI-HA, IEHOG!' Iehik commanded and Iehog obeyed, raising his head to the skies and charging up a youki-filled ball of plasma fire inside his fanged maw.

"Down here."

Iehik-Iehog's head moved oh-so-ponderously towards the source of their summons as they both felt something... the Demon Sword, probably... slash though the tendons of their fiery jaw, making it unhinge and collapse down to their neck. As a result, gouts of molten Mei-Ko-Shou-Kai-Ha flame started to painfully spill down their chest, like flaming drool that went hand-in-hand with the flabbergasted look that they currently sported.

Kenshin had just executed a Dragon Rising Flash with such blinding speed and force that his monstrous opponent couldn't even react to it long after it had connected. He had completely read and comprehended Iehik's ruse right in the middle of battle, giving him an edge in the fight that went beyond mere brute strength, height and reach advantage, and spirit energy reserves.

It didn't matter how powerful the demonic brothers had become after they merged, for the redhead had finally started to access powers far beyond that of Yusuke's own abundant supply of reiki. His past self's innate ability to read his enemies' next move, to gauge their limitations, and to exploit their weaknesses by understanding their psychological makeup was beyond peer.

But even before Iehik-Iehog felt the burning torture of having their own special technique backfire upon them, they were already flexing the remnant's of Byakko's arm, hardening it into a Kaiwan of their own and aiming it at Kenshin right after he confirmed to them his exact location care of his Ryu Sho Sen. "RETSU HOKO!"

A spiritual missile that was more akin to a crushing wave of compressed air than the explosive impact from a blast furnace burst forth from the behemoth's outstretched and hypertrophied left arm, devastating everything in its path into fine powder.

Kenshin's violet eyes widened in astonishment for a split second, then they narrowed into slits for a fraction of split second, and finally the swordsman himself became a blur in a millisecond, reacting in kind to the assault by timing his golf-swing-like Dou Ryu Sen strike just before the Retsu Hoko hit him. His accurate technique deflected the shot right into the stupefied youkai's reptilian chest, leaving a hole the size of a bowling bowl and a spectacular spray of blood and guts. Amazingly, the lethal blow merely staggered the still-standing monster, as though it was too confused to fall down.

"Is that the great secret that you've been hiding from me? The fact that you can now copy the special moves of the deceased Shisejyu that you've absorbed unto yourselves?" Kenshin asked his sharp, ego-shattering questions in that typical tone of his that was neither mocking nor inquiring, but altogether lecturing. What he really meant to say was this: "You've gone through too much. I'm sorry that it has to end this way. Even your best isn't good enough to beat me."

'I knew it! I knew I was worried for nothing! Or maybe I didn't. Wow. I never realized that Kenshin was _this_ strong and fast, especially not after seeing him helplessly sprawled on the ground as soon as I woke up! His opponent before must have been _really_ good, then; far better than these two moronic demons,' Botan reflected giddily, but she could not help but feel that... No. She dared not indulge her nagging feelings of dread, opting to continue watching the soon-to-be-short-lived match.

Iehik-Iehog panted and gurgled heavily, as though they were drowning in a sea of their own blood, but afterwards guffawed as their internal and external bleeding stopped. Every one of their muscles, veins, and organs voluntarily pulsed and moved on the command of their mind. "Did you feel that last attack, Iehog? No, not really, big brother; it kind of tickled, though. He has quite the fast reflexes, huh? Yes, he does. Well then, let's show him what we can do," the monsters talked to themselves comically as their loosened jaw moved in an exaggerated, puppet-like manner.

It happened in a rainbow flash that was more characteristic of a Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu Technique. In that particular moment, Iehog regained the same amount of frightening quickness he had displayed as a mindless monster earlier, but unfortunately wasted it on another predictable Retsu Hoko maneuver, stabbing his Kaiwan outward as pressurized energy came forth in droves of ruptured air. Kenshin's mind, as always, instantly registered the move and devised several countermeasures against it in record time.

The redhead's eyes stared bewilderedly at what happened next, his gaze almost as vacant as Genkai's was during the heat of her battle with Byakko.

Iehik-Iehog did a feint and actually executed a similar-looking but all-in-all different technique, as evidenced by their snatching and lifting of Kenshin in midair using a vacuum-tight grip, their large and muscular fingers choking whatever remnants of life the apparition had. Then, with a mighty roar, the chimera slammed the diminutive warrior to the ground with concussive force. "ZETSU HOKO!"

Kenshin crashed helplessly on the earth, bits of debris and stone pelting the both of them. The spirit coughed and choked amidst the settling dust, completely disoriented by the shocking turn of events.

Iehik-Iehog grappled the incapacitated ghost with both hands this time, their eyes feral and lacking pupils as they executed one of the most powerful maneuvers of Byakko's Claw... the diamond-smashing "KONGO SAI!" Kenshin was again unceremoniously flung to the ground.

Kenshin was pelted with three feet worth of dust and debris, then left a deep, human-shaped crater on the ground in the wake of his violent impact. The sharp, fractured rocks dug deep into his corporeal skin, spilling blood and breaking bones that were not his own. Because of their bond with the Youtou Shinnoken, it was likely that Yusuke would suffer the same injuries as he had. Again. 'Oh no. Yusuke-dono isn't going to like this. Not one bit.'

Afterwards, before Kenshin could react, he was yet again lifted and slammed on the ground; this was Byakko's follow-up move to the Kongo Sai, the first Kai. The luckless fighter felt several more of Yusuke's bones crack and pop against the intense pressure. Iehik-Iehog afterwards lifted up the half-unconscious redhead once more as they stomped their foot on the ground, making it buckle and crack into a mass of stony spikes. A nasty, maniacal grin briefly appeared on the chimera's face as he began to execute the final Kai.

The destruction filled the air with many pounds of dirt merging upward then falling down on Kenshin's injured body, the ground collapsing into an eroding pit as the aforesaid spikes shattered upon impact. The ensuing shower of rock shrapnel skewered the former rurouni in every which may, turning him into a crimson fountain of blood and dirt. In the back of his mind, Kenshin felt that the Final Kai was _just_ slightly worse than Genbu's Exploding Palm Trick or even Shishio's Guren Kaina.

"KENSHIN!" Botan cried out only _after_ seeing the Hiruma brothers reduce their victim into a fleshy bag of hemorrhage, for it had taken just one second for them to execute their devastating combo. She summoned her oar and flew towards the hapless Guardian of the Demon Sword, only to be bowled over by a shockwave of purest sin; a disgusting sensation of abnormality and unnaturalness. "What the hell was that?"

Henceforth they came; a thousand tendrils of unbidden darkness. Botan felt the dreadful, nauseating mass of malevolent energy envelop the entirety of their surroundings. Or perhaps 'envelop' wasn't the right word, as the sensation left her feeling altogether hollow and empty. As she unwillingly focused on the peculiar and repulsive feeling, she soon discerned the origin of the miasma of jaki.

Amidst the inviting, velvety blackness of oblivion, the frightful alarms inside Kenshin's mind beckoned him to wake up and face the situation at hand. 'What's going on?'

The conflagration of raw power erupted up from the surface of the menacing youkai's pores; it screeched out a scorching, overwhelming hurricane of chaos and destruction. There was a cacophony of dissonance, like a speeding car crashing, like the haunting dirge of a beloved's funeral, like the screams of a million innocents. "Ah, at last. We've finally synchronized. We are now one. I am now one. I am," the beast paused, and then smiled a demented hyena's toothy grin, "Hiruma."

'Oh. This jaki I'm feeling! It's incredible, it truly is!' the disoriented Kenshin reflected in wonder and disbelief after partially recovering from the creature's overwhelming onslaught. The purported 'Hiruma' was producing ridiculous amounts of negative energy, steaming with the rot and ripeness of sordid malice.

The swordsman struggled to get up from his prone position, feeling a bit woozy and imbalanced by the aftereffects of blood loss and the nausea from secondhand negative energy poisoning. 'Where is it coming from, though? Iehog wasn't displaying this much power even after he was fused with Iehik! What he had then was an increase of his run-of-the-mill youki. Was it because of Byakko's _jaki magnet_ body parts or another reason altogether? Perhaps...!'

Kenshin's extensive trance was cut short by hearing Hiruma deride, "Hey, what's with this weak power of yours, Battousai? Is this truly your limits? MA-TOU-TOU-RYU-KEN!" The ex-hitokiri spirit managed to escape the full torrent of freezing rain, but his arm and leg were nonetheless encapsulated in several layers of thick, hard ice.

"Not only can I make use of the Shisejyu's newer techniques, but I can also do some of their older ones as well. So please don't go just yet; the fun has just begun!" the monster boasted as he walked over Iehik's 'recently healed yet still an empty husk' of a former body and absorbed it unto his current, 'coalesced' one, using the extra mass of flesh and bone to reconstitute the missing parts of his chest and jaw. "But you shouldn't be embarrassed about the fact that I'm stronger than you. Even the greatest and strongest of humans is no match against the most mediocre of demons."

Kenshin retorted with a quick battoujutsu slash to Hiruma's Kaiwan, severing the hardened arm by cutting right through its weakest point, which was the very bones and tendons of the ball joint connecting the limb to the demon's torso. The beast growled in annoyance, but otherwise appeared impassive about the injury, showing no signs of pain and panic.

"Oh, like _that's_ mature." Hiruma rolled his eyes as he picked up Byakko's dismembered arm, intending to reattach it to himself. The grotesque eyesore subsequently felt a light breeze on the top of his head as Kenshin sheathed his sword. His skull cap unceremoniously fell off, revealing a fresh spray of ichor and a disgusting view of Iehog's own grey matter. Iehik's brain, on the other hand, hastily scurried downwards his brother's hairy back for refuge.

His eyes bulging and his body trembling, Hiruma roared incoherently, now fully understanding the threat that even an indisposed Demon Sword Guardian still posed. Had the unseen strike gone any lower, it would have cut through both Iehog's and Iehik's respective brains in one fell swoop. 'That was a bit too dangerous. Even though I'm now a demon, he is still Battousai the Manslayer. Or, as the Chojin mentioned, Battousai the Demon-slayer. I better finish him off now. No ifs or buts.'

And so Hiruma started to unleash the ultimate technique of his Shisejyu arsenal. The whole, devastated area fell silent. It was an unnerving calm usually felt within the depths of undisturbed crypts or before the unremitting wrath of an incoming storm. Then it happened. The demon exploded with the fury of an army of harpies whose sheer numbers could blot out the sun and the sky into darkness.

The remaining trees around the veranda blinked out of existence in an instant; in another moment, the ground itself evaporated into dust as a shadowy globe of utter black surrounded the chimera. Still the darkness spread. It filled the temple; it spread beyond. The lengthy staircase nearby turned into a cascading waterfall for the faux river of roiling umbra. With a howl of aggravated fervor, the mountain shook, crumbled, and groaned, unable to tolerate the deathly blackness. Soon, Hiruma lifted himself and his missing limbs up inside the motionless wormhole of utter emptiness, slowly mending whatever it was that needed mending.

Botan's face went pale as she saw Kenshin get swallowed by the ominous ebony sphere. She, along with the two demons that the swordsman was fighting right at that moment, had seen that technique before. 'That's the reason why there was a significant increase in his jaki! He was planning to use _this_ skill from the very start!'

Then it happened.

"Kyomei Jisatsu Jin: FU NO SENREI!" Hiruma announced.

'Legend of Hades Onslaught...?' Kenshin started as he repeated in his head the elaborate name of Hiruma's borrowed technique.

'The Trial of Negation!' Botan thought in panic. Aloud, she shrieked, "Kenshin, run! For Enma Daio-sama's sake, RUN!"

The darkness collapsed into the palm of Hiruma's claws, merging together and then shattering into rivulets of ice particles. It pulsated in and out like an artificial heartbeat; more to the point, it became the heartbeat of a dying sun. It quickly absorbed all the heat it could soak up until the hollowness produced coldness beyond mere cold. The air smelled of decay.

It then arrived: a column of ice falling from the sky; a monumental ray of power, untamed and monstrous, surging with all the pressure of the seven seas. Hiruma caught it in his palms, and it gathered there; it swelled and took form, becoming a sentient weapon of annihilation.

In the instant before Hiruma let the projectile fly, it looked like a hideous sea serpent. It was the true form of the blue dragon: Seiryu, the God of Dragons. It had a body of at least a hundred feet in length, seemingly made of blue-green water. Its iridescent crimson eyes shone in rage.

With an earsplitting squeal, the leviathan-like beast ascended into the heavens until it was hovering high above its mesmerized, soon-to-be victims. Thusly, Kenshin heeded Botan's advice and started to run in order to lead the monster away from the ferry-girl.

The arctic dragon unerringly homed in on Kenshin's... more like Yusuke's... ki-signature as it headed straight towards his direction. The mountain's hard cliffs crumbled like hollow clay pots against the subzero reptilian's impassioned charge. It crashed unto its intended target moments later.

Kenshin was still surprisingly nimble on his feet, bearing in mind that it was currently wrapped in a cast of ice, but he was still not quite fast enough to completely avoid the corporeal embodiment of the Fu no Senrei. The dragon eventually had its way with the hobbling swordsman spirit as it tossed and turned him within its coiling body like a boat trapped inside a mile-a-minute maelstrom of tempestuous tidal waves.

The serpentine creature started to fly in tighter circles, its speed growing ever faster as a shimmering whiteness began to form within its path. The God of Dragons then quickly descended in the middle of its spiral, thundering down onto the luckless Kenshin like an unstoppable flood of ice and snow taken from the very depths of Makai, in the Floating Island of the Ice Maidens.

"Ryu Kan Sen TSUMUJI!" Kenshin repeated what he did with Yusuke during their 'tandem' fight with Genbu and Rando, using his Dragon Sword Swathe to recover his leverage and escape the Fu no Senrei's grip by quickly increasing the speed and velocity of his own bodily rotation.

"Where'd he go? FIND HIM AND DROWN HIM! I mean, kill him! KILL HIM!" Hiruma ordered the Fu no Senrei beast, but was then surprised to see Kenshin suddenly land in front of him. Before the fused monster had any time to react, the swordsman promptly disappeared just as the God of Dragons locked in on his ki-signature. As a result, master and pet were soon about to be reunited together.

"YOU MORON! Don't let the Fu no Senrei hit Hiruma! If he absorbs that attack, he'll become possessed by the God of Dragons himself and grow to be ten times stronger!" Botan warned Kenshin after seeing for herself what the redhead had planned, flying on her oar to get a closer but safer look at the fight's proceedings.

Kenshin did another one of his patented half-second spit-takes and ferociously attacked the approaching serpent with an unforeseen Ryu Sho Sen from underneath it, staving it away from Hiruma's vicinity. He then followed the strike up with a series of five-hit combos he used on Makoto Shishio, starting with the Ryu Kan Sen Tsumuji and ending with the Ryu Kan Sen Arashi.

"As you can see, if you can hurt the dragon, you can hurt Hiruma as well, or at least the Seiryu part of him! You can aim all your attacks at the both of them," Botan advised further, daring to come closer to the place of combat for Kenshin to hear her words.

Kenshin backpedaled from Hiruma and his sea serpent, observing the both of them from a secure location. He promptly noticed that the fused beast's draconic arm had the exact same wounds he gave the leviathan's arm. 'They share the same bond that Yusuke-dono and I have!' he assessed before telling Botan, "Thank you for your tip, Botan. Now please get away from here while I defeat Hiruma."

"Irritating bitch; giving away my secrets at such a key moment," Hiruma growled, then grinned, his long, sharp canines glinting menacingly in the azure glimmer of Seiryu's serpentine self. "But like I said earlier, you're here because of one purpose and one purpose only. As bait! RETSU HOKO! FU NO SENREI!"

"AAAHH!" The force of the Kaiwan's vacuum blow knocked the shinigami off her oar, sending her right into the Seiryu dragon's waiting claws.

Replicating his behavior when Rando almost killed both Keiko and Botan using a You-Gan cheap shot, Kenshin dashed straight for the falling ferry-girl and the charging Blue Dragon, knocking the former to a safer platform as he allowed the latter to blast him instead. Of course, even though the fiery-haired warrior had a knack for the spontaneous whenever a loved one or an innocent was involved in mortal peril, he at least had enough semblance of forethought to finally disconnect his bond with Yusuke Urameshi; after all, the spirit detective was also, more or less, an important person to him as well.

The fading Kenshin took one last look at Botan, sprawled on the ground with a torn kimono whilst staring at him with watery eyes, and said, "Oh good. I was able to save you. Please run away now. I..." Those were his last words before he disappeared altogether, leaving behind the Demon Sword and its scabbard.

As a result of Kenshin's willful separation between temporary host and magical sword, his own existence started to ebb away, the very fabric of his corporeal being torn apart by its seams. Obeying nature's laws of compensation, the only trace of the Youtou Shinnoken's Guardian was the Demon Sword itself, which promptly gained the ability of sentience and flight as it made a beeline straight for Seiryu's flaring snout.

Realization and the Fu no Senrei struck the disembodied Kenshin hard as his sword-only form was made extremely brittle by the bitter coldness of the leviathan's dry-ice blood. The iron scabbard, another part of the sword's sentience, did one last ditch effort of stopping the monster's advance by poking its sensitive eye, but it too fell victim to the God of Dragon's incredible might.

Whatever pain Kenshin had experienced before paled in comparison to what was now coursing through his soul. The last remnant of his existence... the very Demon Sword he was assigned to protect_... _was slowly torn apart piece by excruciating piece by the Trial of Negation's tremendous strength. If he still had lungs, every breath would've had the taste of sulfur. If he still had a body, very movement would've brought agony to it, as if he were being stabbed with a jagged tool dipped in acid. His whole being felt like it had been sliced, cut, and sawed; if he could bleed, he would have drowned in his own pool of blood.

"KENSHIN!" Botan screamed, her entire body wracked with uncontrollable sobs. She felt her whole world disintegrate inside her, shattering from within like a glass globe via a sound of pure, excruciating noise; an internal shriek of torture. A flame burned inside her chest, and she cried out in agony as though she were being torn asunder.

Conversely, Hiruma looked on with bated breath after seeing the last traces of his longtime mortal enemy disintegrate into nothingness, his devilish eyes brimming with barely contained glee as he involuntarily healed all his minor injuries in the meantime. Botan's cries of despair only increased the beast's growing ecstasy; hearing and seeing such feelings of nihilism in any of his victims thrilled the demon to no end.

At first, there was dead silence on Hiruma's part as he let the scene of Kenshin's defeat sink in, the event burned into his twin minds' eyes. He never imagined himself to be _this_ successful in his 'just realized' campaign to rid the world of the Battousai once and for all. Then, all of a sudden, he laughed; it was an unbidden ripple of piercing mirth that sounded like the discordant howl of turbulent spirits. "FINALLY! HE'S DEAD! AT LAST! GODDAMMIT, I FINALLY DID IT! HOLY MOTHERFUCKING SHIT!"

Botan ignored Hiruma's antics, confused and distracted with the fact that she was feeling so inordinately gloomy about the situation. Why was that? Granted, she _should_ be sad about the fact that Kenshin was now gone, but she wasn't just sad, she was completely heartbroken. The grief she was feeling right now for Kenshin Himura's death/passing on/ whatnot was beyond measure, and she quite didn't know why she was _that_ distraught about it in the first place.

She had just met him a day ago. Granted, all those hours felt like an eternity to her, but she shouldn't be feeling this dreadful about the friendly ghost's sudden disappearance. As a shinigami, she was supposed to be desensitized to the grim reality of death and the perpetual 'passing on' of souls, even though she herself couldn't help but feel grief when a close friend died, as was the case of Genkai's first death.

But Kenshin wasn't a close... anything to Botan. Was this misery of hers in any way connected with the feeling of inexplicable guilt she felt earlier, after the fruit of knowledge gave her sneak peeks of her buried past life's hidden memories? She didn't quite see the connection in rational terms, though her instincts told her otherwise.

Still, Hiruma aired similarly confused sentiments about Botan's sadness over Kenshin's bereavement, saying/reiterating/jeering/demanding in not so many insulting words, "Why the hell are you feeling so sad about some pussy swordsman with a gay-ass sword? You just met him, bitch! Don't tell me you've tapped that scrawny ass before all this started! Did you molest the poor little girl just a few hours ago or something?"

Botan more or less asked herself the same questions, notwithstanding their vulgarity. Then she remembered how Kenshin met Kaoru, compared it with their far less eventful meeting, and understood that she already knew what type of person he really was in the short time she spent with him. He wasn't just a faceless soul she was used to ferrying to one of the three forks of the River Styx; he was a real and superb example of humanity whom she unwittingly shared an 'intimate' moment with by somehow living through his past memories. That and the fact that he had just risked his life _twice _to save hers helped her make up her mind about him.

"Never mind logic; Kenshin was the kind of man who deserved to be cried over, even if you've only met him once... unlike you, anus-face," was Botan's crude rejoinder to the Hiruma monster's offensive allegations.

"Oh really?" Hiruma drawled, his voice dripping with sweet venom as he chuckled softly. "Well, I'm in a good mood today, so I'll do you a favor. How about I send you straight to wherever the hell Battousai is right now? I don't know where ghosts and the ferry-girls who love them go when they 'kick the bucket' or whatever, but I guess you're about to find out anyway."

The creature raised his Kaiwan and aimed it high above the ferry-girl's sky-blue head, intending to split it in half like a watermelon; one serving of revenge always deserved another, after all.

* * *

_'Stop this. This is silly. You and I both know that this isn't the end for you, or else Enma Daio would have never bothered sealing you in a sword after all these years. He would have 'killed' you instead. But you can't be 'killed' this easily. You're not fooling anybody.' _

_Kenshin stirred in his mindless slumber, and then opened his eyes. Alas, there was nothing for him to see... not because he was engulfed in darkness, but because he had no eyes to see with. Being self-aware yet incorporeal was a disorienting experience for him, making him feel as though he were standing on a rocking ship traveling over the rolling sea. As if his whole world were upside-down. He had gone through times like these before, when he was still sealed inside the Demon Sword, alone with his turmoil of thoughts. It was never a pleasant occurrence. _

_'You're acting weak, but you're not. You've been needlessly holding yourself back. Come now. It's about time you woke _me_ up. You've unleashed a part of me when you fought Genbu and borrowed quite a bit of my strength when you fought Saito. What are you afraid of? Look at me.' _

_Kenshin recognized the voice in the background of his hazy reality. It was the demanding whispers of his innermost being, his past self, the relentless one that'd been itching to get out and fight since the very beginning of this debacle. In fact, it was very thing that he'd been suppressing all this time. It was the prodding voice of the Battousai. _

_'You can't possibly leave things like this. Besides, you're already dead. You can't die anymore, even if you try. You _can_ disappear into nothingness, but I won't let you. Not like this. Just who do think you are?' _

_Nonexistence gave Kenshin a limited choice for retorts, so he instead gave his inner voice an unsaid "What are you going to do about it?" dare._

_Battousai answered the unspoken challenge the only way he typically would; through action, not words._

* * *

"Demons... I hate demons," a svelte, disembodied, and effeminate voice declared just as Hiruma was about to cut Botan in half. Daring to defy the convention of villains pausing and listening to distractions during crucial moments such as this, the chimera opted to slice the girl anyway, his shock at hearing the familiar tone be damned.

The ferry-girl flinched and attempted to run away from certain death... or, if not death, then excruciating pain... but the hateful youkai was too fast for her. Unfortunately for him though, tradition would not be denied at that very moment, as evidenced by the sudden appearance of a hovering Demon Sword in between the deathly beauty and the deadly beast.

"This Youtou's true purpose is to kill demons. It's that simple. To hell with Koenma's law and the supposed consequences they bring. Let me be death, the destroyer of worlds," the Demon Sword spoke gravely.

"..." As Hiruma blankly stared at the floating weapon in front of him while it sheathed itself and spewed out roundabout gibberish about death and destruction, he eventually realized just who exactly was speaking 'behind' the reanimated object. "B-Battousai?" he ventured hesitantly, reaching out to the Demon Sword with outstretched claws.

"Exactly." And so Kenshin Himura reappeared at that very moment, winking into existence the same way he had exited... piece by piece, particle by particle, ectoplasm by ectoplasm. But the people present noticed something quite different about him once he fully rematerialized and took hold of his most precious possession.

Kenshin already looked quite young from the get go, but now he looked positively child-like; about ten to twelve years of age instead of his usual fifteen or sixteen-year-old appearance. His lavender gi had been replaced by a dark blue one, and he also wore his flaming hair differently than before, placing it in a topknot instead of his usual ponytail. But the most pronounced change from the swordsman was his irises' color; the flashes of furious gold he'd achieved from before became a permanent fixture on his features, his assassin's glare as sharp as his sword's edge.

Botan herself gawked at the breathtaking yet peculiar sight, awestruck beyond words. She had felt Kenshin sever his connection with Yusuke, so she was more than a bit suspicious with where he was getting all this energy he was currently exuding. He burned with kenki and a hint of reiatsu... the type of battle aura utilized by warrior shinigami. And something else that gave the ferry-girl goose bumps. 'Is he making use of his own battle aura?'

Oddly enough, instead of acting shocked at how short-lived his victory was, Hiruma was elated upon seeing a younger, more solemn, and more stoic Kenshin reemerge in his midst. "Ha! But of course you're still alive! You're one tough son of a bitch! Now give me the pleasure of killing you twice! Hell, give me the pleasure of giving you a hundred deaths! FU NO SENREI! BOUKO HYOUGA!"

* * *

**To be Continued...**

_Next: Battousai time._

**Onmyoudou:** A Chinese-influenced traditional Japanese esoteric cosmology; a mixture of natural science and occultism.

The perfectly synchronized Iehik and Iehog ("Hiruma") is based on the Ruroken anime's version of Gohei Hiruma; you know, the character that had both the sinister brains and the frightful brawn to go with it? You know who I'm talking about.

_Paalam!_  
**Abdiel**


	14. Chapter 13

_"To love is to suffer. To avoid suffering, one must not love. But then, one suffers from not loving. Therefore, to love is to suffer; not to love is to suffer; to suffer is to suffer. To be happy is to love. To be happy, then, is to suffer, but suffering makes one unhappy. Therefore, to be happy, one must love or love to suffer or suffer from too much happiness."_

(Woody Allen)

* * *

**Youtou Shinnoken: Demon Sword**

A Yuyu Hakusho/Rurouni Kenshin fic  
by Chester Castañeda

Original concept by Chad Yang

Battousai's back. Again.

_Disclaimer: Yuyu Hakusho is the rightful property of Yoshihiro Togashi, Shueisha, Fuji TV and St. Pierrot. Rurouni Kenshin is the rightful property of Nobuhiro Watsuki and Sony. This disclaimer also covers all the other copyrighted material that are far too many to mention here. Don't sue me please, I'm very poor._

* * *

**Chapter 13: To Protect Loved Ones (Part 1)**

* * *

The revived manslayer who'd stalked the streets of Kyoto decades past was a peculiar combination of past and present. He had all the memories of Kenshin Himura... memories of a vagabond's journeys after the bloody end of the Tokugawa Shogunate; memories of Sanosuke, Yahiko, and all the other friends he had come to know; memories of Kaoru and Tomoe; and, although his memories of being a spirit inside a sword was strangely lacking, at least the important memories were all locked in his mind. However, the way he interpreted these recollections and his mode of thinking were almost entirely that of the Battousai: emotionless and merciless in a way that was beyond most people's understanding.

He had discovered long ago during his exploits while he was still alive that the Kenshin part of him was the strategist who set the goals to be achieved, and the Battousai was the tactician who did whatever it took to achieve those objectives. As it had been a century ago, so it was today.

With the Battousai taking over his mind, the overwhelming feelings that had been fogging Kenshin's better judgment was finally removed, or at least temporarily set aside.

When Kenshin delivered his 'killing blow' against Genbu, he held back; the monster was probably still alive, albeit barely. He also held back against Fujita, and even though that was ultimately a bad decision on his part, he was mostly unconscious of it at the time. It was as if his instincts kept telling him to uphold his promise to Tomoe Yukishiro all those years ago, despite the fact that his vow was no longer applicable to the 'lifestyle' he was currently leading. In fact, one of the reasons why he sliced Iehik apart was because that type of cut was usually not enough to kill a demon.

Just then, Koenma's century-old warning of not tainting the Demon Sword with sin and murder... even that of demons... came back to haunt Kenshin with inopportune vengeance. Unfortunately, there was no Kenshin present to hear that warning, damnation be damned.

No matter how desperately Kenshin wanted to save Botan, Yusuke, and all the other people he had just met... or had forgotten he'd met from a long time ago... he also knew that the Chojin and his minions had to be stopped before they jumpstarted their holy war against the Spirit World and wreaked havoc all over the rest of the three worlds no matter what the cost. His sense of justice demanded him to set his priorities straight and be more thoughtful of the big picture.

The Hiruma brothers might deceive themselves into thinking that all the abnormal events that had happened so far... the Chojin's approval over their quest to capture the Demon Sword and do with it as they pleased, their rise to prominence in the Chojin's army despite their class ranking as lowly demons, their recently unlocked memories, and their current unearthly abilities... had occurred for their sole benefit, but Kenshin knew better. He could sense it; Gohei and Kihei Hiruma were being used by a greater, darker puppet master, and the fools didn't even know it.

Makoto Shishio had desperately wanted to conquer Japan with fire and blood in order to temper it like steel and make it into a much stronger nation. Kenshin, Sanosuke, Saito, and Aoshi had risked their lives to stop the potential despot from rising to power because his plans would have caused great suffering to ordinary people and an incalculable number of deaths. However, this time was different. The current threat was considerably greater. Failure was not an option because it would literally lead to a fate worse than death itself.

There could be no holding back, because the cost of defeat was too high. Even if Kenshin had to again pave his road to hell with even more of his good intentions, then so be it; whatever would be, would be. In a way, the Hirumas had done him an unintentional favor; they helped him regain his bloodlust.

Hiruma's unseen manipulator... most likely the Chojin... was hell-bent on unraveling the fabric of the worlds of the living and the dead and reweaving it to match his own warped desires. Indeed, getting a hold of the Demon Sword was probably part of his diabolical plans too, or at least one of his many contingency plans. Being able to use mere D-Level demons as effective pawns instead of worthless cannon fodder was a feat worthy of the Chojin's reputation as well.

He had murdered for an ideal. He had murdered for survival. He had murdered out of rage. He had even murdered for the sake of redemption. He had murdered for many, many reasons and, once upon a time, after the Fall of the Shogunate, he had truly believed that the deliberate taking of life could never be acceptable. He had been mistaken. He was now prepared to kill again for his loved ones.

* * *

Hiruma's plan was a flawless one as far as he was concerned. Using Byakko's most powerful defensive armor... the Ultimate Iron Body Technique, if you will... he could now bull-charge at Battousai without worrying about getting chopped into little pieces, the swordsman's change of attitude notwithstanding. Then, simultaneously, he'd sic the God of Dragons unto his luckless target from above so that he'd get to attack two fronts at once with the perfect high-low mind game. He couldn't possibly miss.

In their last go-round, Botan was pulled to her feet in pulse-pounding excitement as both fighters went toe-to-toe, swinging for the fences. Despite Hiruma's ability to answer Battousai's counters with his stolen Fu no Senrei and Bouko Hyouga techniques, it was clear that the swordsman was controlling two solid minutes of the round with acrobatics beyond imagination, smartly using the leviathan's sheer mass to escape his passionate blitz.

Hiruma snickered. "Even though you're the so-called Battousai the Demon-slayer, your thinking is still that of a human; slow, stupid, and predictable. It's almost as bad as the briefness of human life."

The reason behind Hiruma's mirth was that even though Battousai was able to survive his onslaught by tricking the God of Dragon into getting in his way, the spirit guardian had forgotten one thing: Hiruma could also fuse with the Fu no Senrei to become even more powerful. His two-pronged plan actually had a third side to it, assuring almost certain victory.

"But I myself have changed. For me, everything is based on one simple truth. My focus is only on winning. That's the way true demons think."

"Admitting yourself to be a demon in front of the Guardian of the Demon Sword is equivalent to a death wish," Battousai remarked as he unceremoniously chopped the God of Dragon's head off before it had a chance to merge with its current master. This led Hiruma's draconic arm to deteriorate quickly, causing him to scream in true agony.

"Pathetic," Battousai intoned as he unleashed an endless storm of steel and sparks that fell to the ground in a shower of tiny yellow stars, literally scourging the tormented monster piece by gruesome piece. The strikes felt as though the entire universe turned into focused agony just for him.

Battousai's tactic... the same tactic he'd employed against a certain street-fighting punk named Zanza... worked like a charm. As cutting the Gordian knot with Occam's Razor would suggest, the simplest and most straightforward of methods always proved to be the best method. The continuous rounds of Sou Ryu Sen cut through Hiruma's monstrous endurance the same way it had Sanosuke's, and the Fu no Senrei's death was just as significant as the Zanbattou's destruction. The methodical manslayer had done it again.

Hiruma screamed, gnashed his teeth, and stomped his feet in agony, creating shockwaves and tremors with his resulting tantrum as smoke-like jaki billowed from Seiryu's draconic arm like smog from a broken exhaust pipe. Thanks to Byakko's Bouko Hyouga though, the chimera was able to somehow bear with the sheer torture of Battousai's offensive.

Hiruma tried desperately to counterattack using all his remaining limbs, but he did so to no avail. Blood and ichor began to fountain out from all over his body, painting arcs of dripping gore across the decimated patio as Battousai sliced another handful of bloody chunks away, reveling in their warmth and vaguely spongy texture.

He who made it rain blood looked on as Hiruma let out another irritating scream of anguish and rage before going down. Had he won so easily? How could that be? Perhaps the fact that he just turned his opponent into a disabled amputee from merely being a paralysis victim had something to do with it. He chuckled humorlessly before a metaphorical bolt of lightning struck him in between his golden eyes.

Battousai derailed his personal diatribe as he turned and took immediate notice of the creature's mishmash of rippling skin and warping scales. In next to no time, dents appeared from the severed stumps that used to be Hiruma's limbs, almost as if something was trying to get out of his Shisejyu body.

At first, the part of the swordsman spirit that was Kenshin dared hope that he had won the fight before he completely succumbed to the Battousai's influence, interpreting Hiruma's howls of pain as death rattles of sorts. Alas, that fragile hope turned into horror as it became evident that whatever was trying to break free out of the malignant atrocity was not beneficial to him by any meaning of the word. 'Where is all this jaki coming from? Hiruma's body reeks of it.'

The beast was now in severe, unthinkable pain, yet his unbridled anger kept him in check, his mind remaining focused and clear. Indeed, the rage of Byakko knew no bounds. In any case, the juggernaut had all the advantages coming into this fight, and he'd barely damaged the whelp at all! This was unacceptable; it was now time to show him his true power.

No, that wasn't quite right... for, as Rando revealed, body manipulators and fusion experts like them didn't possess any such limitations as having a set amount of their so-called 'true power'. So he should really thank the Chojin that the ambitious, morally bankrupt, and incomprehensively greedy Kihei had merged with the simpler, more uncomplicated, yet extremely brutal Gohei; because now, their boundless imagination was an asset instead of a liability to their potentially limitless power. They roared as one. "ARRGGH!"

The metamorphosis happened immediately. A vortex of jaki appeared before everyone and swallowed the amalgamated brothers whole before Battousai could get rid of them once and for all. However, instead of creating another Fu no Senrei or some other energy blast, the black hole merely served as Hiruma's shield from taking on more damage while he healed himself. Buntings of smoke and flame burst out from the core of the void, arced back and shot into it again; the roaring of magma inside a firestorm. A harsh blaze, like a dark inferno roiling through the endlessly moving surface of a black sun, ended the vigorous dance.

The dark pit ripped itself apart and unleashed a horrifying blackness so foreboding that Battousai's golden eyes recoiled to look upon it. Two points of brilliant crimson shone out from that unspeakable anomaly, and the aura of primal fear poured forth from the torn fabric of reality like some poisonous vapor. The gate of hell crackled and spat arcs of red lightning as Hiruma finally emerged.

'I understand now,' Battousai mused after some thought. 'Very well. Let them dig their own grave.'

The headless Fu no Senrei emerged from the ground and gave Hiruma an extra pair of its own dragon arms. Its lashing tail then served as his third arm, and the thing that was trying to escape his body earlier... the regenerating Kaiwan... served as his fourth arm. It seemed impossible at first, but the chimera somehow managed to make himself even more fearsome than ever before.

Hiruma thundered like an earthquake as he moved, the aura of menace that he radiated intensifying as he slowly rose from the ground like an enormous boa in the grass. But as it was, the emotionless swordsman was by and large unmoved by the lethal display of malicious intent, backing away deliberately as he himself tried to be as quiet and unobtrusive as possible while the slavering colossus advanced.

Stooping down as he ran back towards the fight, the Battousai scooped out his sword from its scabbard and spun it around his body before bringing it down in a twisting overhead strike that jarred against the beast's raised Kaiwan and skidded down the length of the muscular arm without leaving so much as a mark on it. Taking advantage of the swordsman's distraction, Hiruma crouched low and dove into his opponent's abdomen, a clothesline from hell exploding in a blast of scarlet energy and swirling debris that sent loose dirt raining down from the cracked earth below them, and the redhead was forced back a few steps.

The Battousai shifted his grip on his sword, wielding the blade like a spear and thrusting its tip into the monster's chest with all his might as he continued driving him back to the ground. The chimera shook his mane and roared a throaty bellow that caused even more dirt to shake loose and tumble onto the struggling sword guardian. Then he started convulsing. He threw his head back and his body forward, then his body went the opposite way. He shook violently. His fists opened and closed. He screamed. This made the Battousai pause for a moment, but at that point, he really didn't give a damn if the noisy bastard had become epileptic.

The former manslayer shook the dirt off of the bangs of his head, thankful for the thick shag of orange hair that shielded his golden eyes from all of the grit and dust that choked the air. He recanted further as the ground trembled under the force of Hiruma's advance, and the skies above them churned even faster as arcs of lightning flashed from one cloud to another in jagged bolts of purple. The foreboding atmosphere made it clear that Hiruma was just about ready to fire off another blast of Seiryu's Fu no Senrei.

Hiruma was actually getting stronger as time passed! He had unbelievable power that was further reinforced by his constant mutations care of Iehik's unique savvy and Iehog's awesome constitution. Instead of bringing his leathery claws around to strike somewhere else, the huge demon pushed down onto the interlocked blade, and soon the Guardian of the Youtou Shinnoken found himself in a contest of brute strength. 'Hiruma's gotten more powerful; still deathly predictable, but more powerful. Case in point...'

Hiruma chose that very second to unload all his available 'bombs' upon the Battousai in one magnificent attack, intending to top the blitz off with an explosive Trial of Negation at the very end. That was the plan, in any case. But just as he swung his wrecking-ball-like tentacle into the air, whipped it around his body, and cast it wholesale towards his prey with such ferocious velocity that even the Battousai barely had time to get his sword up to block, he started to fall apart like a stack of flimsy cards. One of his pair of dragon arms were hacked into little bits, and the dragon tail he had used as a mace was also turned into slices of cold cuts. In fact, his whole body felt like it had been scourged and carved back to its original size before he merged with the draconic Seiryu.

But when exactly did Battousai Himura do his incredible attack? Was it just now, in the split second it took for Hiruma to bash the swordsman into ectoplasm and mince meat? Or was it even before that, during the time the Battousai unsheathed his sword to do a battoujutsu strike that harmlessly clanged against the Kaiwan? Could it be that the assault came right after Hiruma merged with the Fu no Senrei dragon? Was there some sort of delayed reaction to the strike that left the chimera vulnerable for a long time without him knowing it?

Hiruma roared a guttural, appalling sound as he rearranged his remaining arms to how they were put together once before. This time, after he fell on the ground on all fours, writhing in agony as his top-heavy head crashed onto the dirt floor, he decided to wait a moment before getting up. After all, the last few times he immediately stood had so far been met with disastrous results. Seeing Battousai begin his somersault, the monster rolled to the side and stood up as the swordsman landed. The chimera had taken a great deal of damage, and it was time to even the score. "That's _it_! I'm going to spank you till you can no longer smell pretty things!"

But even Hiruma's unquenchable thirst for revenge was not enough to put the Battousai down. The guardian spirit pushed the demon back, feeling his own power grow in the heat of battle. As he put more and more energy into blocking, he felt his blood lust rise, giving him an enormous amount of leverage that defied the laws of physics themselves. He reached out with his spare hand, reeled back, squatted down, pumped up his legs, and exploded with a perfect Ryu Sho Sen blow that came faster than a heartbeat and stronger than when Kenshin used it against the Shisejyu Genbu or the mysterious Fujita; a blur that swept towards the horrifying beast in the time it took a hummingbird to flap its wings.

Every strike of Battousai's sword brought him closer and closer to his true power; a power far beyond that of even the infamous Hitokiri Battousai, who slew hundreds to usher in a new era for Japan. No, this Battousai... the Youkiri Battousai... was emotionless, calculating, and ruthless in a manner that went beyond most anyone's comprehension. He was relentless; inhumanly cunning with human intelligence; a force of nature without nature's equanimity. The swordsman's own metamorphosis, in cadence to the demonic siblings' transformation, was almost complete.

Just as Hiruma's face split into two like a party favor from hell, the Guardian of the Demon Sword stated, "When push comes to shove, killing becomes as easy as breathing," which left the mostly forgotten and cathartic Botan stunned and near tears. At last, the Youkiri Battousai was finally back on the prowl.

"Very well, then. Kill us if you can, and become the infamous Battousai the Demon-slayer once more! We will help corrupt your pure soul, just as the Chojin wants. Or we'll kill you so that we ourselves could wield the incredible power of your Demon Sword. No matter how you look at it, we will still win and fulfill our destiny! There's no stopping us!" the hideous, bleeding creature cacophonously responded as he stabbed his gruesome Kaiwan forward, extending it out of his body like branches from some rotting, unhealthy plant that sprouted ugly clusters of thorns along its length even as it continued to grow.

"Your 'master' is a deluded fool then, thinking that he can control me like the rest of his pawns," the Battousai snapped as he immediately countered the branch-limb's furious charge with heavenly vengeance. His strikes were delivered flawlessly, the years of sleep-induced peace melting away as the weapon in his hand became nothing more than an extension of his body. "My only master is my divine purpose: to destroy all demons and to bring about a true Utopia. Paradise. Eden. Rakuen. Whatever you may call it. Once I'm done with you and all the rest of the many demons in all three worlds, the Chojin is next."

And now that he was nearing the apex of his higher state of being, the Battousai eventually realized the reasoning behind the Chojin's orders to corrupt the Demon Sword: If he were able to kill all the demons in Makai, then there'd be no one to stop the Chojin from taking over. A simple, direct, effective, and effortless plan. Battousai snorted; just for that, he'd make sure to spare some time in his busy schedule to find and kill this arrogant Chojin before the _real_ massacre began.

Taking advantage of yet another typical Battousai distraction as the swordsman guardian worked himself up to a storm with visions of a demon-free world, Hiruma blasted his arch-nemesis with a gigantic "MEI-KOU-SHOU-KAI-HA!" made completely out of the negative energy he'd failed to unleash after his aborted Fu no Senrei attempt. 'This is my chance! You're going _down_!'

"Die," The pressure-ridden Retsu Hoko caught the swordsman dead-center, blasting him backwards half a dozen meters. Still, the Battousai kept his footing and tried to advance.

"Die!" Hiruma bellowed, his voice hoarse. He afterwards launched a Byakko Shu Tsuika at his seemingly stunned victim, the horse-like kick pounding into the ghost like a pile driver, slamming him backwards once again.

"DIE!" The Zetsu Hoko grapple hold and throw connected with the Battousai's diminutive form, blowing him completely off his feet and carrying him through the air as his body repeatedly smashed against the ground, shattering its brittle surface to dust.

Wobbly with exertion, heaving for breath, Hiruma espied Battousai's prone form warily, waiting for him to stand, praying that he would not. He wasn't sure how much he had left in him right now.

The out-of-the-blue Hiryu Sen assault caught the monster between the eyes, shooting him backwards a good dozen... or perhaps even a baker's dozen... meters. The Youkiri Battousai was now up and about, whizzing by like a blue and orange comet, as though completely unfazed by Hiruma's earlier chained attacks. Still, the chimera kept his footing and tried urgently to move forward and counterattack.

"Die," Battousai mockingly bellowed in the same manner Hiruma did, his effeminate voice echoing everywhere when it shouldn't be able to do so. He afterwards launched a Sou Ryu Sen at the thing; the attack cut and minced into the youkai like a sharp buzz saw, shredding him apart once more.

"DIE." A sandstorm-like Dou Ryu Sen crashed onto the hapless demon, knocking him completely off of his clawed feet and hauling him through the sky, until he and the attack finally smashed against a mountain of debris, shattering the boulders into a billowing cloud of brown smoke. And so once again Hiruma fell over thanks to the Youkiri Battousai; however, he hadn't quite learned his lesson yet, for he was already attempting to get up just as soon as he'd collapsed. "Not yet! This is not yet over! I'm not yet done!"

"Oh, yes you are."

The Battousai wouldn't even allow the behemoth to breathe, much less get up. In a heartbeat, he was already upon the nonplussed monster, his steel-trap intellect methodically dissecting his and his enemy's next plan of action just as efficiently as his sword was dissecting his enemy. But rather than just slash Hiruma to bits with his bloodthirsty Youtou Shinnoken, the swordsman began to... leisurely talk to his foe. In midair. While his sword was whistling through the ether in speeds that didn't allow for such laidback conversations to take place.

'You see, this is a martial arts move I've developed long ago by fighting alongside other shinigami warriors from a different realm; the attack is telepathic as well as physical, and by the time you realize this sentence seems way too long...'

Hiruma had just gotten the scourging of his life in the time span it normally took people to blink while listening to a lecture that seemed to take the very same normal people an infinity to process and understand. It was quite the surreal experience.

'...It'll all be over.'

Botan felt like she hadn't moved in decades. After all, she didn't want to look away for a split second. On one side, there was the relentless, child-like Battousai, moving like a streak of greased lightning, his kenki as brilliant as a divine halo from an enlightened Buddha, a transfigured Jesus Christ, or an ascended Hercules, unleashing insanely powerful sword techniques that she'd never even heard of. If there ever were a god to walk among men, she thought, he must've looked something like Kenshin did now. 'Except he isn't really Kenshin; he's gone for now,' a voice at the back of her mind that was not her own concernedly reminded.

But on the other side, in contrast to Kenshin's 'godhood' was Hiruma's 'devilry'. The aura of sheer horror that pulsed from this fused behemoth dwarfed the power of anything she'd felt from Iehog before, setting her every nerve on fire with irrational fear. Iehog and Iehik seemed less like two separate beings now, and more like a creature from which one terror after another emerged in an endless supply; a walking catastrophe; the alpha and omega of nightmares and tragedy. 'If they're just the Chojin's pawns, then I'm scared of what the Chojin must be like!'

But as she glanced again at Kenshin, she felt her earlier awe for him melt away into terror similar to what she just felt for Hiruma. Somehow, someway, those golden eyes of his seemed even more fearsome, ferocious, and terrifying than the behemoth's eyes could never be. Just who between the two fighters was the demon more terrible than her worst nightmares?

One thing for sure, the Youkiri Battousai was back.

She felt her insides knot in dread and anxiety as she remembered her last good look at Kenshin. She would never forget the sight of him standing in the middle of Hiruma's strewn body parts as a fine mist of blood and ichor settled ever so slowly out of the air.

And even more unforgettable was the ominous golden glint in his eyes. She had never seen such cold and distant eyes since she last stared into Sensui's gaze. She didn't _hate_ the Battousai, but the sight of those shining irises filled her with dread because they symbolized a part of Kenshin that she didn't know and felt no desire to know. They meant that the Kenshin she knew was no longer there.

'No. That's not really true,' Botan reluctantly admitted to herself. The Youkiri was undeniably different from Kenshin, and yet he wasn't a separate entity wholly distinct from Kenshin.

Perhaps that was what she found most frightening of all... to think that the killer their enemies so desperately want to fight and the silly, wide-eyed rurouni that she had come to care for could be so closely intertwined, even in her eyes. Because if that was true, then that meant...

She shook her head to clear it; she would have none of that nonsense. There were more important matters to take care of right now. After all, she was a shinigami; she was death incarnate. She had power over all human souls, even though she didn't usually exercise it the way those other, more grotesque and amoral death gods did in the Shinigami Realm. The personable work and reasonable hours... plus extra fringe benefits and dental care... under Prince Koenma's wing was more her style, really. But for once, just this once, she wished for the kind of power that the Shinigami of the Shinigami Realm had, just so she wouldn't feel like a a piece of furniture in the middle of Kenshin's important fight. 'What must I have to do to save Kenshin from himself?'

Botan took one last good look at Kenshin... his golden eyes becoming more and more feral as the fight progressed, the remnants of his fleeting humanity drowning inside an all-encompassing need to fulfill the true purpose of the almighty Demon Sword... sighed, and nodded resolutely. She still didn't know what she had to do, but she knew she had to do this vague, indistinct, yet important thing for Kenshin's sake, and she had to do it right now.

A memory of the past... not hers, but of another person... made itself known inside Botan's psyche; an image of Kenshin... of Battousai... standing resolutely over a fallen foe, his reverse-edged sword raised high and flipped over so that the sharp side would easily cleave through his opponent's head. The details were murky, but the ferry-girl had a vague feeling that if Battousai didn't kill the madman before him, then someone dear to him would die in the psycho's place.

'But if he does kill the madman before him, then he himself would die too. Kenshin, the true Kenshin, will not be here anymore. I simply cannot allow that to happen!' Botan thought purposefully, but at the back of her mind, she hazily wondered if it was truly her that was thinking those bold words.

So, just as the Battousai was about to carve the rest of the stolen Shisejyu body parts out of Iehog and Iehik's fused yet bloody form, Botan rushed forward and interposed herself between the both of them, a mixture of mortal fear, confusion, and nostalgic deja vu overwhelming her senses. "Please... don't. Enough. You've won," she beseeched to the former manslayer, hoping against hope that deep inside him, the part of him that was Kenshin would hear her desperate plea. "Please. Wake up."

The tragically familiar picture of a woman diving in front of him to save him was a truly traumatizing and influential scene for Kenshin to witness... although whether it rooted from his internal demons or the usual demons he used to fight on a regular basis was debatable. He reacted thusly, dropping his guard and lowering his sword, his blue vest and topknot hair unfurling and transforming to his more familiar cherry gi and ponytail. His features also became much more mature than before, though for a hundred-something-year-old spirit that died at twenty-nine years of age but still generally looked like a teenager, maturity was a very relative thing.

"K-Kaoru...?" Kenshin asked in an almost disbelieving voice, gazing at the girl before him with glassy eyes, but the visage of Kaoru quickly faded from his mind, transforming from dark blue to sky blue, from cream to pink, from brown to red; from kendo-girl to ferry-girl.

Botan was a bit taken aback by Kenshin's slip of the tongue, remembering the girl of her dreams... wait, that sounded a bit weird... the girl _in_ her dreams that was apparently an important person in the former rurouni's past. Was Kaoru influencing the ferry-girl's inexplicable actions up until now? For one thing, the kendo-girl was indeed the very person who revealed to Botan the true identities of Iehik and Iehog, among other oddities that went from bizarre to downright disturbing. Sooo...

'Just who was this Kamiya Kaoru person, and what exactly is she to Kenshin's life? More to the point, why the heck is she screwing with my head? Why me?' Botan wondered, then blanched at her train of thought as the image of her biting down on the fruit of knowledge flashed before her mind's eye.

"K-Kenshin?" she surveyed abruptly, shifting her whole attention on the diminutive warrior's condition just because the idea of remembering memories that didn't even belong to her was giving her a... serious headache. "Kenshin...?"

There was no response from the redhead for quite a bit, but then with unexpected gentleness, he turned over to Botan. And before she could even withdraw in shock and surprise, he pulled her into his arms without another word and simply held her close.

For a disbelieving moment, the shinigami could do nothing, her whole body burning in feverish uncertainty. After everything that had happened to the both of them, she had been afraid to even dream of being held once again in Kenshin's arms. 'Wait. Wait. Wait. I _so_ did not dream that! What the heck am I thinking? What a sick thing to think about!'

Botan sighed deeply and tried not to over-think Kenshin's embrace too much. It was just that: An understandable hug of relief between two... 'people' who had gone through quite a lot of traumatizing events during the course of several hours. Nothing more.

'On the other hand, I was so worried about him being cold and unfeeling after seeing him lay the smack-down on Hiruma so eagerly. But look at him now. Why, he's not cold or unfeeling at all,' she mused wryly. 'I also thought he would stink of blood, hatred, and fear.' But she had been very wrong about that too. Granted, Kenshin didn't exactly smell like roses right now... more like burnt bacon... but he was most certainly exuding a strong scent of familiarity that Botan couldn't quite place. And smelled of burnt bacon.

"Kaoru, I..." The softness of Kenshin's words did nothing to hide the wealth of feeling in his voice as he slipped from Botan's grasp, quickly realizing his own verbal slip; it was a strange concoction of heartfelt compassion and sheepishness. This time around, Botan almost didn't even catch the faux pas, partly distracted by other things of interest.

"Oh, sorry. There I go again. Botan-san, right? Oh, sorry again. Botan, isn't it?" he repeatedly corrected himself as he wiped Hiruma's chopped-up gunk off of his sandals. Then, as he gently brushed the gritty dirt from the ferry-girl's face with infinite care, he murmured, "I'm glad you're all right. I was so caught up and focused on saving you from Hiruma that I lost myself in the heat of battle. And now here you are instead, saving unworthy old me! This whole thing is a bit frustrating and embarrassing for me; that it truly is."

"Oh no! Don't be embarrassed! You were great! Amazing! Stupendous! If Yusuke had seen you fight just now, he would have eaten his words about you being a big wimp and stuff!" Botan sputtered, her cheeks turning as pink as her kimono, all the while unsure of what exactly she was saying. She then coughed primly, calmed herself, and continued. "I'm just glad you finally came back to your senses. I'm not sure why, since it was your bad self that kicked Hiruma's hairy bum from pillar to post, but I'm still glad that you're now back to your nice old goofy self." Her face reddened further as her eyes darted from side to side. "That's all I wanted to say."

Kenshin beamed at his supposed rescuer; his guardian angel. "Thank you."

"I'd hate to break this tear-inducing reunion, but... Ah, who am I kidding? I'd _love_ to break this gag-inducing sap-fest! ZOINK!" the ragged, handicapped, and torn-apart Hiruma quipped before emerging right behind Botan and, with an unwavering snap of his double-jointed jaws, swallowed the unfortunate shinigami whole in one fluid motion. "I told you that there's a reason for you to be here, my blue-haired honey! Even though you've been troubling me from the very start, you've also helped me in quite a lot of pickles! For one thing, you kept Battousai from finishing me off up until now, so thanks a lot! You've been fulfilling your role as damsel-in-distress and _bait_ quite well for a death god!"

"BOTAN!" Kenshin screamed as a flash of raging sunlight burned his eyes, his Demon Sword at the ready.

"Ah, ah, ah! Stay right there, my dear Battousai! You wouldn't want to accidentally hurt or kill the shinigami inside of me, would you? She's as fragile as a baby inside a womb right now, so be careful of what you do to me!" Hiruma needled his angry opponent, well aware of the demon-slayer's innate yet paradoxical sympathy to both friend and foe. It was the only reason why Genbu's fight went on for so long, and why Yusuke was debilitated in his battle with Rando in the first place. The swordsman was way too soft and compassionate to what basically amounted to as cannon fodder and nuisances, and that usually compromises most of his otherwise one-sided matches. So of course the manipulative 'Iehik' side of the fused chimera would take full advantage of that very weakness.

Thusly, expectedly, Kenshin the Battousai held his ground in fear of hurting Botan, leaving him wide open to a variety of attacks from Hiruma. "Good boy! Just stay there, my pretty! BYAKKO SHU!" The demon violently shoulder-tackled the swordsman spirit, unleashing a metric ton of force that sent the latter reeling backwards, the ground underneath his feet turning into two long dusty trenches as he sailed right towards the entrance of the sealed Genkai dojo. A swirling fountain of fractured wooden chips and sawdust followed afterwards.

"You coward," Kenshin spat as he got up on two shaky feet, wiping his face off of faux blood, wood splinters, and ectoplasm, but did nothing else.

"So what if I am? I'm winning this fight, aren't I? Absolutely anything goes in a real fight!" Hiruma retorted as he finally attended to his earlier injuries, taking his sweet time to regenerate his cut-up body as his foe continued to hesitate to attack. Absorbing Botan into him not only helped in keeping Kenshin at bay, but also assisted him in his healing process. "I fully realize that against Battousai, my incredible abilities are next to nothing; but against Himura Kenshin, I actually have a chance to win! And with the shinigami as my captive, you can't exactly use your ruthlessness and full power to your advantage, can you?"

After leading the Battousai/Kenshin Himura on a long, convoluted fight, Hiruma paused for a moment to give his hodgepodge body a chance to rest, going down on one knee in exhaustion. Even after gaining the powers of two Shisejyu at his fingertips, he could only be pushed so far. He took a quick peek backward, expecting to see Kenshin recovering from his last attack, but there was nobody there. A scowl appeared on his ugly face.

With a feeling of intense annoyance, Hiruma wondered, 'Where did he go to? Did he finally get tired and escaped? No, that's impossible. Now that he's not the Battousai anymore, he needs to feed onto Urameshi Yusuke's ki to continue to exist, or else he'll fade into oblivion. He's got to be here somewhere.' However, the beast's thoughts were also tinged with relief. He was reluctant to admit it, but he had been more than a little bothered by the Battousai's unexpected speed and stamina.

With his Shisejyu body, Iehog's fusion powers, and Iehik's psychic powers, Hiruma shouldn't have had too much trouble outpacing any mortal in a fight. However, it seemed that the Battousai and even Kenshin himself were keeping up with him without too much effort. True, his enemy wasn't able to actually finish him off, but still...

Hiruma quickly shoved the thought aside as trivial. He glanced around, but there was still no sign of his enemy. Finally, after impatiently waiting several minutes, he swore in frustration and stalked off down the patio. He was desperately eager for this battle. He wanted to see Kenshin's ectoplasm spilling all over the ground. He wanted to see the swordsman cease to exist.

Kenshin suddenly appeared in front of Hiruma from out of nowhere, doing a quick battoujutsu strike that would have cut the monster in half had he not faltered in mid-strike for fear of cutting the shinigami along with his youkai nemesis. The attack still came quicker than Hiruma expected, though nowhere near too fast for him to deal with, at least compared to the Battousai's unearthly speed.

Hiruma backed away, watching Kenshin carefully as he assessed the damage inflicted upon him. Kenshin looked on, seeing if he too could gauge the strike's effect from the beast's reaction. Hiruma wiped a small line of blood on his chest, then snorted derisively, "Is that the best you've got? You disappoint me, samurai. It looks like I was right; without turning into the Battousai, Himura Kenshin is less than nothing against me!"

Kenshin didn't answer the accusation, which the chimera took as a cue to resume his berserker assault, but the former reacted immediately this time around, dodging with an impressive duck, roll, and tumble maneuver to avoid the demonic lariat that could have taken his head off had he not been so dexterous. But Hiruma expected all this as he abandoned his blatant open-handed gestures and tightened his stance to that of a more experienced brawler. "Ah, so you still have some fight in you left. Well, well. Just be careful of what you'll do next, Himura Kenshin. Your girlfriend's life may depend on it."

Now that the battle had returned to a more traditional format, the swordsman himself employed a more defensive strategy. He allowed Hiruma to explore his defenses with an early wave of hesitant strikes. When he did not strike back, the youkai grew bolder, lashing out ever quicker with his huge Shisejyu hands and the longer reach his nearly seven-foot form afforded him. The hundred-something-year-old spirit's continued evasions served to increase Hiruma's feelings of self-assurance and bluster as he gradually increased the pace of his attack.

All Kenshin could do was dodge blow after tireless blow; his body fell into an odd sort of autopilot as he tried to figure some way out of this situation. How was he supposed to save Botan's life? How was he supposed to save himself from becoming the Battousai while still saving Botan's life at the same time? How was he supposed to defeat Hiruma without killing Botan? He had no ready answers, and the extra space he had afforded from earlier was rapidly diminishing as the snarling creature drove him in an ever tightening circle. He tried to jump, but lost his balance in the attempt. It was almost all over.

And then Kenshin attacked, straightening his form as he changed tempo through faltering steps. Hiruma's assuredness in fighting someone that seemed unwilling to fight back made him careless. It was the moment Kenshin had been waiting for as he slashed and pummeled the monster with sword and sheathe strikes in the openings instinctively provided. The two blows landed solidly, making the bigger demon stagger back from shock. Perhaps the former rurouni could have landed another hit, but he opted to back off rather than test just how fast Hiruma could recover.

Hiruma smiled a rictus, bloodcurdling grin. "I've noticed that you didn't even bother cutting up my abdomen during your counterattack, unlike before. I wonder why? You've lost this exchange as a result, in any case." The behemoth subsequently did something rather peculiar; he tore apart his already wounded dragon arm and let Seiryu's bluish blood spray against the dumbstruck Kenshin for some reason. This proved to be a savvy tactic, as the subzero liquid quickly froze the redhead solid, hardening like a thick layer of Plaster of Paris on his ghostly skin. The monster then charged fervently, shoving both the Kaiwan and his Seiryu arm onto the immobile warrior's form to induce maximum impact and damage.

Adding insult to injury, Hiruma derided, "By the way, your blue-haired girlfriend tasted absolutely delicious! I only wish I could've eaten her in some other way that would have been more satisfying to the both of us. Know what I mean?" He snaked his tongue out and licked his lips in an evident display for Kenshin's benefit. The latter kept from revealing his disgust; he would not allow the demon the satisfaction of knowing that his taunting was getting to him. Exasperating such a monster could only give him an advantage. If only he could somehow turn the tables in this seemingly hopeless situation by at least throwing some insult that would get under the demon's skin. Something. Anything.

Because Kenshin and the others discovered long ago that the youkai working under the Chojin increased their power by feeding upon the despair, sorrow, rage, and trauma of other people... growing ever stronger from the fuel of negative emotions hurled against them like adding gasoline to a fire... he was highly suspicious of where Hiruma was getting all his current strength. Supporting multiple beings in one body must've taken a huge amount of energy, and that energy wasn't something readily accessible to the colossus.

Then Kenshin remembered the cloaked Onmyouji that appeared earlier; a being whom the Chojin himself entrusted as a conduit for his limitless jaki; the creature of the night who helped Rando and the Shisejyu become stronger; and suddenly everything made sense.

That, coupled with the fact that Hiruma was confused in regards to whether or not he wanted to defeat, kill, or induce the Battousai state upon Kenshin, made the swordsman realize that the demon was merely a puppet to the Chojin's machinations. The Onmyouji had been the one secretly supplying the beast with infinite jaki, and there was more to the current fight than just mere revenge for the Hiruma brothers' fate.

The Chojin had been pulling everyone's strings from the very start, and this fight was his subtle way of gauging whether or not Kenshin posed a threat to him.

As such, the reeling Kenshin decided to let the cat out of the bag at that moment by straightforwardly asking Hiruma, "Didn't you just say that whether you win or lose, you'll still win? So why are you trying so hard to beat me right now?"

"B-B-Because!" Hiruma's voice wavered uncertainly. "You don't need to know! I-I mean, I can beat you at any time at all, b-but even if you do manage to kill me, you still lose! That only means that... that... you're fighting a losing battle! B-But, if I were able to beat you, then I would win... some more! Yeah, a-and I'd rather I beat you and get the sword for myself than merely dying to... to... turn you into the Battousai." Soon, even the merged demon himself realized the contradictions behind his reasoning.

"Are you even aware of your actions, demon?" Kenshin resumed his obstinate advance. "You imbecile. You don't have any idea of what you're doing."

"How dare you!" Hiruma hated the way Kenshin made him sputter, despite the fact that he had this fight nearly won.

"You have no idea of what you're doing because someone else is making you do the things you do, you stupid puppet."

"Bullshit! I know exactly what I'm doing! I'm making you suffer in every way possible! What the hell are you talking about?"

"Can you explain what you want to do with me? Or why your memories are so fractured?" the Battousai callously rejoined.

"Shut up! I'm not a puppet! You're lying!" Hiruma shook his head in frantic denial.

"Then prove otherwise," came Kenshin's sharp retort. "What do you want to do? Kill me and get the Demon Sword? Make me kill you so that I can become the Battousai? Use Botan to save your hide by hiding underneath her kimono, yet still continue to prattle on about me fighting a hopeless fight? Do you even realize where you've been getting your jaki after all this time?"

"That's all part of my plan!"

"What's your plan, then?"

"Like I'm going to tell you! Fuck off, asshole!" hissed Hiruma.

The youkiri stated in a scornful tone, "I don't think you planned any of this."

"I did!" insisted Hiruma, sounding more immature with each passing moment.

The Battousai maintained, "You're too disadvantaged by your plan. It makes no logical sense whatsoever."

"That's complete bullshit!" Hiruma angrily roared and snarled in a combination of denial and aggravation.

At that moment, even though it was just talk, Kenshin transformed into the Battousai once more. And while Kenshin might have sighed and harrumphed at Hiruma's plight in pity and irritation, the Battousai would never do such a foolish thing. He would never provide his enemy the benefit of mercy. Indeed, his lack of compassion during combat was what separated him from Kenshin.

"Think for a minute," the Battousai implored, "and try to remember who you two were. Kihei was a master schemer, and Gohei had somewhat passable sword skills. But most importantly, you two had goals and motivations, no matter how petty and illegal they might be. At the very least, you weren't total morons. Now look at yourself. You're ranting and throwing a fit like a helpless infant, unable to come up with a logical purpose or justification for any of your actions. I assure you, you're no puppet master."

"You're just trying to trick me!"

"Trick you to do what? I thought you had plans. The Chojin may have given you the chance for vengeance, but it has cost you both dearly. You're nothing but mere pawns to the Overfiend's chess game, nothing more."

"Shut up!"

"How does it feel to realize that your whole reason for existence was to help the Chojin decide whether I'm an asset or liability to him and his diabolical schemes?"

"I TOLD YOU TO SHUT UP!" And so Hiruma charged blindly when he should have charged smartly, which was what the Battousai was counting on in the first place. Death and destruction ensued.

Fear was an emotion that all humans felt at one time or another. It made them cautious, careful. Many humans run when they confront fear. Fear could be a barrier, a challenge, or an obstacle.

Hiruma, a demon, was afraid; he was feeling an emotion that his old selves, Kihei and Gohei, hadn't felt for a long time. That wasn't really true, per se, but the kind of fear that demons felt was far different from the kind of fear that humans felt. For all intents and purposes, Hiruma was feeling the human kind of fear.

* * *

**To be Continued...**

_Next: Saving grace._

The martial arts technique Kenshin was doing in the middle of a speech about it is based on a spoof found in DC Comic's "DC One Million". The scene where Hiruma's mind deteriorates is based on a similar interrogation scene in MadamHydra's opus, "That Which Lingers". All rights reserved.

_Paalam!_  
**Abdiel**


	15. Chapter 14

_Botan was asleep once more. She'd been doing that a lot lately. 'It's like I'm stuck in the Elysian Fields again... but I digress. Where am I?' _

_She dared to crack an inquisitive eye open, but everything before her became more obscure than clear, as though she had never opened her eye in the first place. There was no clarity, no scene, and no gravity around her. A sense of floating outside herself pervaded. _

_The only sound that reached her ears was a rapid heartbeat; whether it was from her own or another's, she was not quite sure. The pulsing tone echoed like a soothing earthquake or a quiet riot: calming but demanding of attention._

_Why was it that she'd been experiencing these bizarre situations more and more often as of late? It was as if the gods themselves were making her into their own personal chew toy of sorts. It was getting a bit too frustrating for her to bear, to say the least. Hmmm. Perhaps it was Kenshin Himura's fault that she'd come to this point. _

_Yes, of course; things like this didn't happen to her on a regular basis until that half-wimp, half-badass swordsman spirit came into her life and turned it upside-down. Without him, she wouldn't have to deal with the ex-rurouni's emotional baggage, their long-dead enemies coming back to life, and reincarnated demonic brothers who were foolish enough to adopt their human names as their demon names by simply reversing the way they were pronounced. _

_Wait a minute._

_Thanks to her embittered train of thought, Botan finally remembered that she had been swallowed by the amalgamated beast known as Hiruma and, thusly, was now part of the wily chimera the same way that Iehog, Iehik, and two Shisejyu were. Those fused sons of bitches were indeed a savvy lot; because currently, Kenshin couldn't help but transform into his scarier_... _but admittedly sexier_... _Battousai self now that he was about to be forced to take the life of an innocent in order to win this fight: Botan's life, in particular. The ferry-girl groaned at the very idea. _

_She afterwards recalled how_... _just after being absorbed into Hiruma's system_... _completely lost she'd become; how utterly, undeniably lost. She had existed somewhere in the consciousness of the thing she had become, howling and thrashing in an endless emptiness, unheeded and insignificant._

_But then, like the onset of warm daylight amidst an endless tundra, Botan somehow espied Kenshin's visage and figure through an enraged Hiruma's vision, and what small part of her that was still awake focused on him, her spark of awareness growing ever-so-steady as her assortment of complicated emotions for the swordsman resurfaced upon the turgid waters of her bleary mind._

_She could feel herself being swept along towards consciousness, as if she were caught in a strong current. She could sense that she was rising up from the blackness around her, towards the light and the promise of freedom or damnation that awaited her outside of this reverie. _

_Half-conscious, Botan blearily watched as a hazy image of Kenshin... the Battousai... she wasn't so sure anymore... as seen through the perspective of the being known as Hiruma slowly stepped onto the fray, the drawn katana in his hand gleaming in the dim light of the approaching morn. Also, she could literally feel Hiruma grind his pointed teeth in fury for some unfathomable reason. Was he angry at Kenshin? Why should he be? She'd thought that he was actually winning against the swordsman, especially after he'd managed to get _ her_ to merge with him. Why was he feeling so outraged and infuriated at someone he was sure to win against, no matter what he did?_

_Coincidentally, Kenshin raised that very same question. "Didn't you just say that whether you win or lose, you'll still win? So why are you trying so hard to beat me right now?" he demanded, his words tinny and metallic from Botan's present vantage point. The ferry-girl narrowed her eyes; yes, she definitely recalled Hiruma boasting about such a thing. She thought it was a strange thing to boast about, but didn't give the statement much thought until now._

_"B-B-Because!" Hiruma's voice wavered uncertainly. "You don't need to know! I-I mean, I can beat you at any time at all, b-but even if you do manage to kill me, you still lose! That only means that... that... you're fighting a losing battle! B-But, if I were able to beat you, then I would win... some more! Yeah, a-and I'd rather I beat you and get the sword for myself than merely dying to... to... turn you into the Battousai." Soon, even the merged demon himself realized the contradictions behind his reasoning._

_Why would the demon Hiruma_... _nee Iehik and Iehog, nee Kihei and Gohei_... _a demon hell-bent on taking revenge upon Kenshin, sacrifice his life just to make him into the infinitely more powerful Battousai? The Hiruma brothers were not psychotic like Toguro Ani, and they most certainly could care less whether or not Kenshin degenerates into his fearsome alter ego. If anything, it would make more sense for them to harness the powers of the Demon Sword for themselves instead of making Kenshin angrier and more powerful. What was going on?_

_"Are you even aware of your actions, demon?" Kenshin resumed his obstinate advance. "You imbecile. You don't have any idea of what you're doing."_

_"How dare you!" Hiruma hated the way Kenshin made him sputter, despite the fact that he had this fight nearly won._

_"You have no idea of what you're doing because someone else is making you do the things you do, you stupid puppet."_

_"Bullshit! I know exactly what I'm doing! I'm making you suffer in every way possible! What the hell are you talking about?" Hiruma demanded. _

_"Can you explain what you want to do with me? Or why your memories are so fractured?"_

_"Shut up! I'm not a puppet! You're lying!" Hiruma shook his head in frantic denial._

_"Then prove otherwise," came Kenshin's sharp retort. "What do you want to do? Kill me and get the Demon Sword? Make me kill you so that I can become the Battousai? Use Botan to save your hide by hiding underneath her kimono, yet still continue to prattle on about me fighting a hopeless fight? Do you even realize where you've been getting your jaki after all this time?"_

_"That's all part of my plan!"_

_"What's your plan, then?"_

_"Like I'm going to tell you! Fuck off, asshole!" hissed Hiruma. _

_The youkiri stated in a scornful tone, "I don't think you planned any of this."_

_"I did!" insisted Hiruma, sounding more immature with each passing moment._

_The Battousai maintained, "You're too disadvantaged by your plan. It makes no logical sense whatsoever."_

_"That's complete bullshit!" Hiruma angrily roared and snarled in a combination of denial and aggravation._

_At that moment, even though it was just talk, Kenshin transformed into the Battousai once more. And while Kenshin might have sighed and harrumphed at Hiruma's plight in pity and irritation, the Battousai would never do such a foolish thing. He would never provide his enemy the benefit of mercy. Indeed, his lack of compassion during combat was what separated him from Kenshin._

_As Botan listened to the dialogue going on between Kenshin and Hiruma, she wasn't sure what astonished her more_... _the unexpected deterioration of Hiruma's mind or Kenshin's... well, Kenshin's obvious self-control. _

_'Seeing Battousai _talk_ his opponent down is the last thing I expected from him. On the other hand, I've only seen this side of Kenshin just now, so I can't judge how evil Battousai really is. Or is evil the right word for him?' Botan shook her head inside Hiruma's pervasive subconscious._

_'No, more like cold, pitiless, emotionless, unfeeling, and relentless_... _but never evil. Maybe I shouldn't be that astonished. Maybe I was so distressed, so scandalized by Battousai's brutality and resolve during his fight with Hiruma_... _caught up with Koenma's warnings_... _that I wasn't able to understand what was happening at the time. Battousai isn't a psycho. He isn't attacking his opponent with unstoppable rage. He has full control of the situation and his sanity right now.'_

_Botan ultimately reckoned that she had let rumors and legends of the Youkiri Battousai get to her head. Yes, he was a ruthless killing machine who saw death as a means to an end. Nevertheless, this supposed murderous monster was doing everything that he could to keep himself from killing his opponents. How many real-life murderers act like that anyway?_

_Then again, despite Kenshin still being Kenshin while in "Battousai Mode", there was still a marked difference between him and his other self. Kenshin often identified with his adversary; in contrast, the Battousai wasn't so kind. He mercilessly hauled his opponent's psychoses into the forefront and dissected them with clinical precision. _

_"Think for a minute," the Battousai implored, "and try to remember who you two were. Kihei was a master schemer, and Gohei had somewhat passable sword skills. But most importantly, you two had goals and motivations, no matter how petty and illegal they might be. At the very least, you weren't total morons. Now look at yourself. You're ranting and throwing a fit like a helpless infant, unable to come up with a logical purpose or justification for any of your actions. I assure you, you're no puppet master."_

_"You're just trying to trick me!"_

_"Trick you to do what? I thought you had plans. The Chojin may have given you the chance for vengeance, but it has cost you both dearly. You're nothing but mere pawns to the Overfiend's chess game, nothing more."_

_"Shut up!"_

_"How does it feel to realize that your whole reason for existence was to help the Chojin decide whether I'm an asset or liability to him and his diabolical schemes?"_

_"I TOLD YOU TO SHUT UP!" His panic rising, Hiruma bared his fangs, the mist of his frostbite-inducing breath billowing from the gaps of his frothing mouth. "YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND A THING! So I'll make it simple enough for you to comprehend: YOU'LL NEVER WIN AGAINST ME! NO WAY, NO HOW, NEVER EVER EVER!"_

_Truth be told, the Youkiri Battousai read Hiruma like an open book. The swordsman possessed an uncanny comprehension of the monster that would rival that of a parent's understanding of his or her child. In any case, Botan soon realized that the dark presence that supplied Hiruma of his jaki and his next course of action was currently missing. It hadn't completely left, but without its guiding hand, Hiruma looked lost, confused, and harmless._

_'Could it be that the wraith Kenshin identified as an onmyouji was the one responsible for Hiruma's current state?' Botan wondered as she struggled to regain her bearings._

_Actually, Botan could now clearly sense what the Battousai had noticed from the start. If a person's mind were like a house, then Hiruma's was a wreck teetering on the edge of destruction, its frames and foundations intentionally and methodically weakened by the Chojin's ruthless machinations. She could practically _feel_ Hiruma's deteriorating mind and, in turn, weakening constitution._

_Expectation surged within Botan's heart. This could be her opportunity to escape Hiruma's grasp. With that thought, she assailed the damaged and destabilized biological blockades holding her captive within the mutated body with renewed resolve._

* * *

**Youtou Shinnoken: Demon Sword**

A Yuyu Hakusho/Rurouni Kenshin fic  
by Chester Castañeda

Original concept by Chad Yang

Botan has fused with the cunning Hiruma's body, so Kenshin is trapped in a losing battle. How will he survive this time around?

_Disclaimer: Yuyu Hakusho is the rightful property of Yoshihiro Togashi, Shueisha, Fuji TV and St. Pierrot. Rurouni Kenshin is the rightful property of Nobuhiro Watsuki and Sony. This disclaimer also covers all the other copyrighted material that are far too many to mention here. Don't sue me please, I'm very poor._

* * *

**Chapter 14: To Protect Loved Ones (Part 2)**

* * *

Hiruma, a demon, was afraid; he was feeling an emotion that his old selves, Kihei and Gohei, hadn't felt for a long time. That wasn't really true, per se, but the kind of fear that demons felt was far different from the kind of fear that humans felt. For all intents and purposes, Hiruma was feeling the human kind of fear.

With a jolt, Hiruma became aware that the Battousai had managed to come dangerously close. He suddenly crouched down, balanced on his beastly hands, and spun both his fused legs forward in a sweep. Not at all taken by surprise by the unconventional counterattack in the middle of their dialogue, Battousai reacted in time and jumped backwards to safety.

Battousai landed on his feet as Hiruma immediately performed a charging headbutt into the redhead's chest, feeling his victim shift around and adjusting the trajectory of his gore accordingly.

"You cunning bastard! You've made me go into a monologue... I mean, you've tricked me!" Hiruma shrieked, infuriated both at the Battousai and himself. "But you've forgotten the most important thing! I still have the girl! HAHAHA!" Hiruma's dry lips curled into a smirk most grotesque as he consoled himself with the thought that he still had the upper hand.

'Not for long, and not if I can help it,' Botan thought to herself as she desperately used all of her shinigami powers to rend through Hiruma's grapple-hold upon her. Little did she know that the panicked chimera was somehow able to intercept her private musing.

Something flared briefly in the Battousai's golden eyes, but that was all. The cold, unshakable purposefulness of his expression was far more unnerving than any display of anger or rage could be.

"There's no way to stop me without killing her!" Hiruma taunted his opponent, mockingly flexing his Shisejyu claws and fingers at him as they brimmed with jaki anew. "There's no escape for you."

The Battousai replied evenly, "If that becomes necessary, I will."

Hiruma blinked in astonishment. "You... You're willing to KILL her?" he shouted, sounding hopelessly baffled. "W-Well, then f-fine! You'll become a mindless killing machine, and I'll still w-win by driving you to utter m-m-madness!

Battousai unsheathed his sword, which made Hiruma stutter, "B-But don't you care for her at all? Not that it will change the situation or anything, but have you become so far gone in your Battousai state that she no longer matters to you at this point?"

As his long red ponytail fluttered in the faint breeze, Kenshin unwittingly affixed his amber-eyed gaze upon Botan's pink eyes hidden behind Hiruma's hideous face and declared, "You're confusing me with Kenshin. He's the one who fights for ideals like truth or justice. Me? I fight to protect the people I care about who can't defend themselves. If an enemy appears, I don't hesitate... I kill them. And I'll kill you because I do care about Botan. Right now, you're just another demon to me."

* * *

_Trapped inside Hiruma's body, a stunned Botan mentally whispered, 'Kenshin...'_

_She could not doubt the utter sincerity in his voice when he said that he cared, nor could she doubt his sincerity when he said that he was willing to kill her. She wasn't looking forward to a shinigami's death; unlike humans, dead shinigami didn't have anything to look forward to in the afterlife. They just disappeared into nothingness, as though they never even existed._

_For a heartrending instant, Botan wondered if the Battousai truly intended to kill her. Wasn't that exactly what the swordsman stated that he was prepared to do? After all, that'd be the simplest and most efficient solution to the problem that was Botan trapped inside a chimera named Hiruma._

_That really sucked and rocked at the same time. Not that Botan had any particular feelings for Kenshin or anything, since they'd just met and all. Nevertheless, for an instant, she was torn between joy and despair. _

_'No, I have to trust him. He was prepared to kill... has killed... but even as the Battousai, he didn't do it out of sheer pleasure or just because it was the easy thing to do. He only killed because he truly believed it was necessary. I have to trust that Kenshin will find another way to stop Hiruma's rampage.'_

_But despite her amazing steadfastness, Botan found herself inwardly bracing for the cold bite of steel._

_'He's tried so hard to become someone different from the infamous Youkiri Battousai. The Battousai had killed often, so Kenshin had chosen to never kill at all. If Kenshin turned away from the Battousai_... _the killer within_... _then wouldn't that make his fight with Hiruma all the more difficult? Weren't demons supposed to be killed? Why was he so idealistic anyway? Was it his supposed idealism that drives him to do the stuff that he does?'_

_The answer to that, Botan realized, was that Kenshin wasn't Kenshin at that point, but the Battousai. He would not let her lose herself inside Hiruma's person even at the cost of her own life. That was the kind of person the Battousai was._

_Her last statement opened up a whole new can of worms_... _or as Botan would call them, a whole new butt-load of uncomfortable and inconvenient questions_... _that stoked the flames of the ferry-girl's growing internal debate._

_What was the best way to combat 'evil', anyway? A knife between the eyes or the power of friendship and love? Was Botan, that strange Kendo girl that kept appearing in her dreams, and Kenshin merely acting naive in their desperation to not let the Youtou Shinnoken kill demons? Yusuke and the other Reikai Tantei certainly didn't have such reserve or limitation, which resulted with them saving thousands, even millions, of lives for the common good. _

_More to the point, why would Koenma-sama make things so complicated as to add the stipulation that whenever someone was killed by the Youtou Shinnoken, demon or human alike, it would result in Kenshin turning into a mass-killing murderer? Wasn't that counterproductive? What was up with that?_

_On the other hand, why were demons automatically considered as "evil beings worthy of being killed" by default, while humans were given more leeway in regards to their actions and lives? Was a human's life more important than a demon's? _

_Sure, Hiruma could be considered as a devil by default, but he was merely acting as the Chojin's marionette. What gave Kenshin, or any of the spirit detectives for that matter, the right to take away his or any other demon's life? 'Whoa... Easy, girl. You're beginning to channel a bit of Sensui rhetoric there with that rant of yours. Settle down,' Botan chided herself, but all the same, she knew she had made a good point._

_In a lifetime that extended over a century and then some, the death goddess had trained her body to reenergize itself in an amazingly short amount of time. She knew how to conserve and use her spirit energy wisely and economically. Her reiatsu constantly recharged itself, sustaining both her astral body and her abilities as a shinigami. _

_Most people close to her already knew by now that she kept herself exuberant and bubbly through sheer will alone. Although something as strenuous as, say, keeping a crystal that housed the life force of an entire world inside her body or finding a way out of a body-absorbing chimera would take its toll on anybody's body, she was lucky enough to be a perpetual motion machine in the shape of a buxom sixteen-year-old albino girl with a paddle and a kimono._

_Which was why, after going on what should have been an exhausting and traumatizing trip into Hiruma's body, she was now awake and alert. In any case, her idle mind continued to wander further into the ether as she continued to concentrate her power upon Hiruma's weakening hold on her ethereal body._

_'Maybe Koenma-sama had no choice but to turn Kenshin into a spirit guardian. Perhaps guarding the Demon Sword was the best or even only sort of fate for a pacifist like Kenshin, considering his personality and circumstances. Knowing him, maybe the swordsman actually approved of or even wanted his so-called punishment of never being able to kill a living being again, regardless of who or what they were.' _

_If that truly was the case, had the idealistic and sanctimonious Kenshin gone too far by trying to change from being the Battousai? If the Battousai was an integral part of Kenshin, then wasn't rejecting what he stood for mean that Kenshin was trying to reject a part of his own soul? The youkiri might not be an attractive or pleasing personality, but he was a part of Kenshin nonetheless. It was often said that an incomplete soul could never know true contentment._

_'Maybe the fact that he's so good at swordsmanship is what bothers me; he makes the art of murder seem so effortless. I've never actually seen him kill anyone so far, but from what I can see, he could've killed Hiruma, Genbu, and anyone else that stood in his way a million times over if he hadn't held back.' She gazed intently at the Battousai. There was no eagerness or anticipation in him, only a determination to do what he deemed necessary._

_It was as plain as day that Kenshin didn't want to kill anyone, even if killing one person would save many others. The Battousai_... _the other side of Kenshin's proverbial coin_... _at least knew that killing was necessary. In the end, because Kenshin kept holding on to his idealisms, he'd unwittingly risked the lives of the very people he'd sworn to protect and made relatively simple fights drag on and on. His idealism was his greatest strength and weakness._

_'Looking at him now, I think I'm beginning to understand. The Battousai might be an expert at killing, but he doesn't do it casually. He doesn't _ enjoy_ taking people's lives. He kills because he believes that it's necessary to achieve the greater good.'_

_Ha! The greater good, huh? Seemed like Botan was channeling a bit of Enma Daio's reasoning this time around. 'If I had to protect someone I loved or an innocent person... if I had no choice... what would I do?' _

_A part of Botan whispered stubbornly, 'There's always a choice! You can always choose not to kill!' In particular, it was the raven-haired, kendo-swinging, pony-tailed part of herself that had taken residence at the back of her mind, much to her chagrin. It was Kaoru Kamiya, the master of Kamiya Kasshin Ryu, the "Sword that Protects"._

_But was that really true? Was there always a choice? If Kenshin's, Yusuke's, or Koenma's life truly was at risk, she knew what she would do in an instant. It was a very sobering realization for her. _

_If she were willing to take a life out of love_... _to protect the people she cared for_... _how could she possibly belittle Kenshin for being prepared to do the very same?_

_'But it wasn't belittlement,' the Kaoru in Botan's mind's eye insisted. 'I am not a child; I know that killing can be inevitable when push comes to shove, but you can't stop me from believing that avoiding all the pushing and the shoving in the first place will help greatly in not resorting to the madness of war, hatred, and violence.'_

_'Stop that now, missy; I have no intention of turning my head into a self-help book. What's your point?' Botan asked as she slowly gained leeway inside Hiruma's murky depths_... _she didn't just think that. Ew, ew, ew._

_'I don't hate the Battousai, and I know he's neither evil nor malicious; he's a part of Kenshin, after all, and I care for them both. But please understand, Kenshin cannot become the Battousai again! I have no idea what the deal is with that Demon Sword thing of yours, but the more Battousai kills and gets to kill, the more it'll tear Kenshin's soul and humanity apart. Please understand Kenshin and my desperation for him not to kill ever again, Botan!'_

_'Has it ever occurred to you that maybe it's a good idea for Kenshin to become the Youkiri Battousai? I mean, the Battousai's stronger, faster, and does less speeches_... _but when he does do one, he can talk his enemy to death! Look at what he did to Hiruma just now! No offense to Kenshin or you, Miss... Kenshin's friend, but Battousai is a thousand times cooler than Kenshin, and since you've just admitted that Kenshin is still Kenshin even when in Battousai mode, then we won't have to worry about him going evil overlord or anything,' Botan reasoned out, feeling a bit flighty about the fact that the voice in her head was currently having a heated debate with her. _

_'Y'know, at the middle of this battle for the Demon Sword and whatnot, you have no place here, kendo girl. Believe me, sister; starry-eyed idealists like you, Kenshin, and Kuwabara are cannon fodder at best_... _people who need protection from others who know how the world really works_... _and naive fools who put everyone else at risk through their reckless gullibility at worst. Well, people like the Battousai, Kurama, Hiei, and Yusuke, on the other hand, know how the world works; they're smart, street-savvy tough guys who know that the only way to solve some problems is to beat them into submission.'_

_Botan shook her head again, feeling as though she were channeling a bit of Yusuke pragmatism in her argument. She should get more gal pals, or at the very least she needed to hang out with Keiko, Shizuru, and Yukina more._

_'So I'm sorry, but I just don't see the problem with Kenshin becoming the dreaded Battousai. Instead of getting in the way of him winning this battle, here's what I'm going to do instead: I'm going to get out of the belly of this stinking beast, let the Youkiri Battousai kill him once I'm out, and we'll all live happier than we did before, when Hiruma was still alive and playing mind games on poor little pacifist Kenshin. We should just let things be so that I can go home and have some sexy Battousai loving already!'_

_'...'_

_'Oh right, you're a voice in my head. Of course you'd hear that. My bad.' _

_'Botan, I'm dead serious. Don't let Kenshin lose himself in this battle. I completely understand that there will always come a time when starry-eyed idealism and the power of love and friendship just won't cut it, calling forth the need to resort to violence.'_

_Kaoru paused, exhaled, and then worked herself up to a storm. 'But seeing that Kenshin has done everything in his power not to kill the stone demon, sacrificed his and your sleek-haired friend's usefulness in battle in order to rescue you and that other girl from that Kabuki-looking youkai, and only fought to survive against the Hiruma brothers' demonic reincarnation made me conclude beyond a shadow of a doubt that killing should always, _always_ be reserved as a final option, if it's to be used at all.' _

_Botan was taken aback by Kaoru's statement. Both girls knew that Kenshin was a very complex yet simple character from the get go. He was a killer that had vowed to never kill again. That was very understandable; who would want to continue killing once the initial perceived necessity had passed? _

_However, though he didn't want to kill again, Kenshin continued fighting and using a sword. He also clung to the violent personality that made him such an effective assassin in the first place. As such, one could not help but confront the confusing complexity of Kenshin versus the Battousai. It was easy to simply say that the gentle persona of Kenshin was a mask that hid the violent Youkiri Battousai._

_Then again, his situation was more complicated than that. If Kenshin were merely a mask covering for the assassin beneath, he would not have sacrificed his own comfort to ensure the safety of another time and time again, nor would he make it his permanent mission in life to protect innocent people without killing anyone else, innocent or not. _

_A mask was only that; a thin disguise that hid but didn't change the inner nature of the person. The mask was usually made up of some trait that the person had the potential for, but didn't entirely embody. When Kenshin was kind to Kaoru or played with children, people saw the true gentleness of a man who cared. While he was no bungling fool, Kenshin really was a kind and gentle man._

_Kenshin was both a kind wanderer and a ruthless assassin. Both personas were part of who he was, and both were also masks. 'Battousai' was the face that hid 'Kenshin'. But what was the face that 'Kenshin' hid? If both of these people were, in essence, masks, then who was there when the masks were stripped away?_

_That was what both Botan and Kaoru wanted to know._

_After a long and involved pause, Kaoru commented, 'Well, come what may, I trust that he'll do the right thing. He always had before, and even up until now, I have faith that he'll always do so. He's one of the few people that can never betray my trust. I trust him completely.' _

_Botan reflexively blinked. Her pure concentration of shinigami spirit energy had finally paid dividends for her; she could now see a clear exit path inside Hiruma's cavernous chimera body. She felt a touch of self-satisfied smugness for her accomplishment, especially after recalling Iehik's reason for bringing her in the middle of this war zone in the first place: as live bait and distraction for Kenshin. She then focused her attention towards Kaoru once more._

_'While what you're saying would, well, sound scary coming from an abused housewife, I really think we shouldn't just lie around and simply wait for Kenshin and his super duper swordsmanship to defeat the foul beast, rescue us, and whatnot. Sure, I'm willing to give him my trust as well, but I will not let myself become some sort of dead weight around his neck while he fights for his life and sanity. Let's show him that he can rely on us too, shall we?'_

_'Hmmm... Wow. Okay then. Sounds good to me,' Kaoru murmured in what sounded like an impressed tone to Botan's ears. As such, they began their gradual egress inside the chimera's body. At the back of Botan's mind, aside from wanting to know who the real Kenshin was, she also wanted to know what Kaoru Kamiya was doing inside her head. But alas, that was a notion to be explored for another time._

_Unseen, unheard, and unfelt by either Botan or Kaoru, Hiruma mentally chuckled._

* * *

A quiet breeze stirred the stagnant air of the mist-shrouded mountain housing what was left of Genkai's temple just as the dying night made way for the warmth of the breaking dawn. The black gloom that engulfed the decimated temple patio at that moment was pierced by the fires of Battousai's golden glare.

Flat-eyed and tight-lipped, the terrible calm of battle settling upon him, the Battousai turned, stepped out of the haze, and walked into a landscape that seemed almost as ruined and devastated as the moon's surface itself. His opponent then came upon him, shrieking and hissing, his body reeking of panic and fear.

Hiruma, a desperate demon at that point, heedlessly shot technique after blistering technique at the speeding Battousai, as though he were Rando with a hundred-and-one throwaway abilities in his arsenal. He wasn't, and by the time he'd attempted his thirteenth attack at the elusive redhead, he'd already exhausted all of the Shisejyu's conventional techniques.

He tried turning Battousai into an icicle once more by slashing his jugular with the Kaiwan and spraying the hapless swordsman with Seiryu's blood, but he soon found out that he could never use the same tactic on the wily Demon Sword Guardian twice.

The agile youkiri dodged and sidestepped his way around Hiruma like a hungry, frenetic swallow repeatedly swooping over an overcrowded fishpond, never letting the demon get a clear shot; Hiruma soon realized that he was merely injuring himself for nothing. Then, just as he prepared a massive Ma-Tou-Tou-Ryu-Ken and Mei-Kou-Shou-Kai-Ha combo, the Battousai counterattacked with ruthless aggression, unleashing the full potential of the Youtou Shinnoken. Impressive, certainly... a mere slash made even Jine's best maiming techniques seem like shaving accidents.

Hiruma's normally steel-tough skin parted cleanly before the Youtou Shinnoken's edge. Repeatedly. Even now, the slashes just kept on... slashing, eating at him like a corrosive acid. It was hard to explain; it was as if the Youkiri Battousai had somehow created a time paradox where he'd continuously mutilate Hiruma's body yesterday, today, tomorrow, up until the end of time in half an eye blink... past, present, and future tense be damned. Whatever the situation, the sheer agony of the mysterious attack drove the overgrown behemoth into the fringes of sanity and reason.

The demon's scream was disgusting... raw, hoarse, with a slight gurgle in the end. Hiruma still had his near Toguro-like ability to regenerate, but he quickly quaked in fear once he realized that the slashes that the Battousai cut through his body had torn not only his flesh but also the very fabric of reality itself, the air rippling inside his gaping wounds like miniature wormholes of sorts. He screamed again.

Hiruma couldn't possibly survive through _this_ no matter how many times he healed himself. If anyone thought that the Hitokiri Battousai was a scary son of a bitch, then he was fucking Christmas Day compared to the bleak Halloween that was the Youkiri Battousai. All the same, the demon frantically backpedaled, lashing out at his personal Halloween with the Shisejyu's clawed hands, feeling the flames of jaki shoot out from their curled fingers, but the Battousai wasn't there. Swiftly, he turned...

...And leaped out of the way of the youkiri's flashing blade, tearing right through the air where his torso had been. His amalgamated heart pounded frenetically inside his chest.

His eyes widened. He knew that the Battousai was fast, but he didn't realize that he could defy physics, reality, and time so effortlessly.

Another slash. He dodged again, and it tore apart the reptilian side of his chest, leaving behind another permanent wound that made him bleed even more of Seiryu's icy serpent blood.

Hiruma cursed silently. The Battousai was a blur, a shadow, a flash of gleaming eyes in the mist. And even with the Shisejyu enhancing his battle senses to levels he'd never dreamed possible, he couldn't seem to get ahead. All his attacks were missing, merely flashing or exploding through numerous afterimages and tearing up the mountain landscape.

Whether it was skin, muscle, scales, fur, or bone, the Demon Sword zipped through them all in an instant as if they were nothing but clouds of smoke. All Hiruma could do was dodge blow after tireless blow. He fell into some kind of deadly rut as he tried to think of a way out of his dilemma. No such luck.

"It's not supposed to be like this!" Hiruma cried. The pain washed over him in waves with every beat of his heart, Seiryu's lifeblood pooling onto the ground around him, the sensation that connected him to the world now betraying him, taking him further away from it.

Hiruma had thought he would never be this weak again. He... or they, the reincarnated Hiruma brothers... had accepted the Chojin's promise of power, glory, and closure in exchange for loyalty and certain services. They had learned to welcome suffering and pain because of their determination to leave a more profound legacy in the world of the living this time around. This was their second chance at life, after all.

Hiruma was stronger now... ruthless and powerful, possessing both Iehog's brute strength and Iehik's manipulative cunning. He didn't have to be helpless. Not again.

Instead, here he was, gasping for air; Hiruma knew that he was really going to die this time around, even though he'd actually taken the trouble of getting insurance in the form of Kenshin's shinigami girlfriend inside of him. And albeit his claims time and again that even if he gets killed by the Battousai, he'd still win against him because of the nature of the Youtou Shinnoken's curse, he really wasn't feeling particularly triumphant at that moment.

Perhaps Battousai was right all along about the Chojin using Hiruma as canon fodder in order to mess around with the redhead's... well, head. He, the Shisejyu, and the Hiruma brothers that made his existence possible, were all just the Chojin's quaint little puppets, and they were about to get their strings cut by that very same redhead they were supposed to screw with to boot.

...Well, to hell with that.

Hiruma fell down in a boneless heap after Battousai callously cut the tendons connecting his knees and calves together. "That's everything. No more techniques. No more Shisejyu. No more hope. Take all that away, and what's left?" the youkiri simply queried as he regarded his fallen opponent with impassive yet fearsome eyes.

"Me," Hiruma groused, blasting the Battousai to seeming oblivion with a Fu no Senrei powered by his very own suffering... but he knew better. As such, he hastily backed a good distance away from the cloud of devastation and braced himself. The expected pain soon followed.

"To HELL with my PUPPET STRINGS!" the Iehog part of Hiruma stubbornly spat as the chimera weathered the scourging tempest of a retaliatory Ryu Kan Sen Arashi. "Come on, BUTT-OH-SAI! I'M NOT GOING TO LET YOU OR ANYBODY ELSE STOP ME NOW! This is my _moment of truth_!"

"That's right! Even if Hiruma himself can't take the pressure, WE HIRUMA BROTHERS WILL NEVER SURRENDER!" Iehik boldly chimed in, counting the seconds before his... or rather, Hiruma's... little gambit fell into place. The old demon then came up with an idea to stall for more time.

And so, drawing strength from the remnant chill of the morning air on his worsening injuries, Hiruma tilted his head towards the boyish swordsman and his cursed sword... then breathed softly.

The Battousai flinched as Hiruma's icy breath swirled about his head, a few tiny snow flakes sticking against his face, not melting because of the cold spell that barely hovered over the surface of his skin. What was Hiruma doing? Was he trying to freeze him to death again? He would cut him apart before he could...

And then he felt it. A sudden, deep lethargy seeped into the edges of his mind. The Battousai blinked in surprise as his vision unfocused, blurring the image of the beast kneeling before him. His outstretched arms, held before him as he summoned his kenki into the Youtou Shinnoken's blade, sagged suddenly as a penetrating weariness swept through him, tugging at him, pulling him down on the ground in a peaceful, slumbering heap.

Battousai grit his teeth, shook his head violently, and fought against the sleep spell, his sword-ki blazing as he tried desperately to focus above the exhaustion that was creeping through his limbs, fogging his brain. If he succumbed, if he fell asleep, who knew what the merged monster would do to him?

But it was far too late for the Battousai in any case. "DIE, BATTOUSAI!" Seiryu's dragon claws dug deep into the swordsman's sternum, with Hiruma intending to freeze the immobilized spirit guardian from the inside out. Meanwhile, Iehik heartily congratulated himself on a job well done, surprised that a mere distraction would work well enough to kill his mortal enemy.

Battousai then lifted his head up, startling the self-satisfied demon. "'Die, Battousai,' huh? Humph. Like I haven't heard that one before," he harrumphed, waking up from his cold-induced stupor by concentrating on the torture inflicted to him by Seiryu's claws. He afterwards proceeded to carve Hiruma like a festive Thanksgiving turkey, even though he never did nor never will celebrate that particular foreign holiday.

Just then, just at that very inopportune moment, Botan's head emerged from one of Hiruma's many hamburger-like lesions, exiting from the wound like some sort of perverse Caesarian Section for the birthing of a grown woman. Or like the goddess Athena suddenly springing up from Zeus's head like an armored-to-the-teeth heap of warrior princess popping out of a pea-sized abscess. Or most anything else that would screw with one's psyche... melting clocks and cubism readily come to mind.

Simply put, the whole scene was really gross, but Kenshin was nonetheless floored by Botan's seemingly non-sequitur reappearance. "BOTAN! Oh, thank the gods, you're safe! Quickly, grab my hand and I'll pull you out!"

Take note though that it was _Kenshin_ who was floored by Botan's sudden appearance... Battousai would have just raised an eyebrow at the strange spectacle. More to the point, the redhead had unwittingly regressed back to his pacifistic state once he was reassured that the innocent whom he was trying to save was already safe and sound.

Botan squirmed and wiggled out of Hiruma's "appendix" area... a strangely appropriate place for her to make her exit, even though demons didn't have appendices... resisting the urge to gag and vomit at the assortment of bodily fluids currently clinging on her hair, face, body, and kimono.

"Quite frankly, I don't really give a damn about what you'd do to Hiruma, but at least you won't have to worry about us... er, me, anymore. Do whatever you want to do. I trust you, oh magical redheaded swordsman!" the ferry-girl remarked tongue-in-cheek as she stretched her slimy hand towards Kenshin's.

"Oh, I wouldn't say that just yet, love," Hiruma sinisterly sneered, dropping all pretenses of anguish and despair and smiling a chilling, feral grin that hinted on the rictus edge of madness.

Botan halted her advance in mid-squirm as a sudden pain shot through her ribs; the large abdominal muscles of the chimera started to clench and and constrict around the orifice she was departing through, crushing her stomach and restricting her breath. Soon enough, she couldn't even feel her legs and lower extremities. Good thing she was already the personification of death, or else she'd be needing her own ferry-girl right about then.

"Let go of me! Let go of me, you goddamned stinking gorilla! Oh my god, Kenshin! I'm so sorry! Please, get the _hell out of here_!" Botan pleaded as the redhead could only look on in flabbergasted terror.

Right on cue, the unseen onmyouji started to again influence the unruly behemoth's emotions, feeding him with large helpings of negative energy until he swelled up into a balloon of unbridled rage and blinding arrogance. "GOTCHA! Thought you can escape me, eh girly? How about it, Battousai? Can you still kill me now, seeing that your girlfriend is trapped inside my girth? Then go ahead, you redheaded softie! I FUCKING DARE YOU!"

Kenshin was frozen in horror, his body as immobile as highway road-kill. He looked as shocked as he had been after discovering what he had done to his pretend wife's body so many years ago. He was as distressed as he would have been had he lived long enough to see Kaoru's corpse with a cross-shaped scar on her cheek and a sword protruding from her chest.

"...Whoops, time's up! MEI-KO-SHOU-KAI-HA-ZETSU-HOKO!" rumbled Hiruma in one breath, combining the vacuum surge of the Shout Blast and the fiery hurricane of the Screaming Tiger's Demolishing Wave in one formidable inferno, hurling the stationary Kenshin a good ten feet away by the sheer force of the blast.

"K-K-Kenshin! Don't just stand there! DO SOME... AAAAHH!" Kenshin heard Botan's voice; a strangled, choking gasp of torment and agony.

Kenshin clenched his teeth in agonized frustration, his violet eyes haunted and desperate as he struggled to stand and keep on fighting. He had to win! And fast! There was no time, and he didn't just need to defeat Hiruma, he also had to find a way to rescue Botan at the same time.

Meanwhile, Hiruma watched in bemused amazement as Botan struggled against his abominable (abdominal?) trap, the bright blue-green ki in her delicate hands building rather than diminishing. The skin of his cracked face tingled in pain, almost as if in response to the power buildup of Botan's reiatsu. He could feel it... feel the strength of her determination and resolve growing before him, focusing in the palms of her hands, and knew that, after what he had done to her, she would hold nothing back.

"Tough luck, toots. Once I'm through with your boyfriend, I'm going to rip you apart and turn you into my own personal hand puppet... if you know what I mean," Hiruma swore to Botan as he added injury to insult, making his scourged body's muscle mass grow and swell to one-hundred-and-twenty-percent Toguro Ototo proportions to compensate for all the unhealable injuries he'd suffered in the hands of the Youkiri Battousai.

Botan let out a long, horrified scream as she was crushed to complete submission, her hoarse voice sounding like the wail of a dying wildcat.

Kenshin's mouth went dry. 'Oh no. Not again. I don't want to fail again...!' His heart felt as if it was also being crushed within his chest. To Hiruma, he growled, "You coward! To think you'd actually hide behind a woman to protect yourself!" But Hiruma wasn't listening to him at all.

"It's time to tempt fate once again, Battousai! BOUKO HYOUGA!" Hiruma snarled in uncontainable excitement as he bull-rushed his diminutive ex-rurouni opponent straightaway, with the protruding, half-conscious Botan in tow. His body then quickly grew and hardened to its very limits as his muscles hypertrophied in the same manner Byakko's Kaiwan had.

Just then, as the chimera continued to charge with thunderous hooves, Kenshin and Botan shared a brief glance at each other's faces, but strangely enough, the ferry-girl seemed... different somehow. Her pink eyes were now in a familiar rich chocolate color, her pink cheeks a stark contrast to her quickly paling skin. In a resigned yet shrill tone that was _just_ loud enough to be heard through Hiruma's rumbling stampede, she confessed, "Kenshin, whatever... you with... whole... but please, I need you to... in me as well!"

Kenshin strained his ears. "...WHAT?"

"I SAID: KENSHIN, WHATEVER HAPPENS, I TRUST YOU WITH MY WHOLE HEART, BUT PLEASE, I NEED YOU TO HAVE FAITH IN ME AS WELL... DUMBASS!"

"OH! OKAY! GOTCHA!" Kenshin gave Botan a 'thumbs up' sign as she merely rolled her eyes. Feeling a bit relaxed now, he went into his ready stance and took a deep breath. With a part of his mind that wasn't focused on the battle and his internal struggle to control the wild forces within him, he realized his hands were trembling.

He didn't care. He reached within... and let go.

Battousai's killer instinct felt Kenshin relax his steel will, and immediately flowed to the surface of his mind, swift and flaring with terrible power. He bared his teeth in a savage grimace as he struggled to keep his human soul from drowning under the deluge of malicious instinct.

Kenshin then made his decision right then and there as he and Hiruma leapt up high into the blue yonder simultaneously, his demonic blade shining brightly amidst the shadowy tendrils of the chimera's borrowed jaki. He had very little choice in the matter. It was either he let Botan stay permanently stuck inside Hiruma's mutant body, or he would mercy-kill both her and him so that she wouldn't suffer a fate worse than death. Truth be told, his ultimate verdict was merely the lesser of two evils.

* * *

Just then, Kenshin heard Botan say, "Kenshin, whatever happens, I trust you with my whole heart. But please, I need you to have faith in me as well," as six kinds of hell broke loose and headed towards the redhead's way, time seeming to stand still for his sake, the abstract idea itself ostensibly thunderstruck by the sincerity of Botan's words.

"I trust you," she had said. That was quite the statement to say to someone who was next to a complete stranger. Nevertheless, it served as the swordsman's wakeup call, rousing him from his brief trance of shellshock-induced inaction.

From there, without even pausing for breath, Battousai thrust his sword straight into Botan's heart. Afterwards, he shut his eyes and did an inward-to-outward Kuzu Ryu Sen, the nine strikes tearing away from the center of impact with movement reminiscent of a blossoming flower... a profusely bleeding flower blossom that was about to die a violent death. Hiruma didn't even see the strikes coming.

A swift flash of the Demon Sword later, and the pieces of Hiruma and Botan's respective bodies collapsed, quivering in a mishmash of chunky, dismembered flesh. What was left of the demon's muscular legs immediately curled up towards his exposed underbelly, his split face smiling a rictus death grin.

What the Battousai had done was nothing less than brilliant, if not brutal and heartless... or it would have been save for the fact that Kenshin wasn't "the Battousai" at that point. He simply couldn't muster enough killer instinct needed to transform into his Battousai state whilst seeing Botan trapped mid-waist inside Hiruma's abdomen.

Kenshin just couldn't do it. Not while he could still taste the tang and feel the warmth of Tomoe Yukishiro's blood trickling down his face and clothes even after all these decades past. Not while he could still remember how he'd betrayed his promise to Kaoru Kamiya to come back to her side by dying in the middle of his fight against Makoto Shishio a lifetime ago.

The redhead _knew_ that he didn't turn into some sort of crazy berserker that would mindlessly raze through everyone in his path, friend or foe, because of his uncontrollable, unstoppable rage whenever he became the Battousai... or at least, that was the original intent behind the Hitokiri Battousai, regardless of the current stipulations Koenma made in regards to using the Demon Sword.

Moreover, Kenshin didn't become weaker when he wasn't the Battousai. He'd always had access to his boundless power, and he didn't simply increase in strength when provoked. It was just that, as the Battousai, he was basically able to gain full access of his ingrained pool of swordsmanship talents because he'd decided to let go of all his remaining inhibitions and reservations. He became ruthlessly effective in every last aspect of combat, combining a frightening amount of strength, resolve, and control in his movements, actions, and decisions that many people found absolutely terrifying.

* * *

**To be Continued...**

_Next: Conflagration and confrontation._

Again, bits and parts of this fic were mostly inspired by MadamHydra's "That Which Lingers" fanfic, particularly Botan's introspective scenes while trapped inside Hiruma's body.

_Paalam!_  
**Abdiel**


	16. Chapter 15

_"The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated."_

(Infamous paraphrase of a Mark Twain quote)

* * *

**Youtou Shinnoken: Demon Sword**

A Yuyu Hakusho/Rurouni Kenshin fic  
by Chester Castañeda

Original concept by Chad Yang

Was this fight really about Hiruma versus Kenshin or Kenshin versus the Battousai? Also, just how far do the Hiruma brothers want to go with their vague and indistinct mission anyway?

_Disclaimer: Yuyu Hakusho is the rightful property of Yoshihiro Togashi, Shueisha, Fuji TV and St. Pierrot. Rurouni Kenshin is the rightful property of Nobuhiro Watsuki and Sony. This disclaimer also covers all the other copyrighted material that are far too many to mention here. Don't sue me please, I'm very poor._

* * *

**Chapter 15: To Protect Loved Ones (Part 3)**

* * *

Kenshin simply could not kill Hiruma while the monster held Botan hostage. Not while he could still taste the tang and feel the warmth of Tomoe Yukishiro's blood even after a century had passed.

Kenshin and the Battousai were no Jekyll and Hyde. Kenshin was still mostly himself when he was the Battousai... the same man with the same goals of protecting the weak, innocent, and defenseless against the forces of evil using his immeasurable strength... only a lot more intimidating and, more importantly, a lot less hesitant in not just killing, but on how he approached life, death, and battle in general.

Battousai was a man who eschewed limits and restrictions, but that wasn't to say that he let his great power go to his head. Nothing of the sort; succumbing to the lure of his own abilities was exactly what the Battousai wasn't. He was instead all about control.

The difference between Kenshin and Battousai, in Kenshin's mind, wasn't their mode of thinking or even their general attitude about the value of life. Rather, their differences lay more on the amount of control they had on themselves at any given moment. The had the exact same motivations and intentions, they just went about them differently because the Battousai was far more willing to cross the line... and the slippery slope beyond it... than Kenshin.

'You have no choice now. There's no better recourse than to kill her along with the demon,' the Battousai inside his mind beckoned. 'You know me better than anyone else, Himura Kenshin. Don't tell me that you're just as naive as the rest of them, thinking that the Battousai... Youkiri, Hitokiri, or otherwise... is merely a mindless psycho like Jine was or a killer with a superiority complex like Shishio was.'

Kenshin stirred in his melancholic reprieve. 'Even as Youkiri, we didn't take a life for granted. We simply followed Hiko's teachings to the letter and readily faced the consequences of taking a life, come what may. Remember, a sword is meant to kill, and swordsmanship is the art of killing. There are times when you have no other alternative but to kill.'

Most certainly, when given the chance, the Youkiri Battousai could be as eloquent and loquacious as his more peace-loving counterpart. 'Do you think of me as a simple murderer?'

'Yes and no,' Kenshin detailed. 'I know your... our... reasons behind killing. Yes, there are times that it simply cannot be avoided. I know that. But...'

"I trust you, oh magical redheaded swordsman!" came Botan's tongue-in-cheek vote of confidence, which left the Demon Sword Guardian somewhat shaken and confused at the time, but in hindsight helped him regain quite a bit of his eroding self-confidence.

Kenshin chuckled in remembrance of the ferry-girl's antics, then frowned as a bitter, unbidden memory entered his mind... that of him slicing his wife in half as she jumped in front of him to protect him from his hulking opponent's furious charge, which led to both their deaths by his sword's blade. Tomoe had given her complete and total trust to him at the time, but look what that got her; he made her bathe in a rain of her own blood.

Kenshin had another less horrible but equally depressing flashback, this time of Kaoru Kamiya waiting patiently for him back in Aoiya as he did battle against the superhumanly powerful Makoto Shishio. Due to circumstances beyond his control, he broke his promise to the kendo-girl and never came back from his death match.

To think, Kaoru had also given her complete and total trust to him at the time, and look what that got her; he made her wait for nothing because his will to live wasn't as strong as he'd hoped it would be. The sharp rocks of reality saw to it that he would never, ever find his happiness, as though he never deserved such leisure.

On both counts, Kenshin Himura had betrayed the trust given to him in the worst way possible. These separate yet significant incidents were two of his greatest failures in life. And now, yet another innocent woman was offering her trust to him this time around. Would he fail to uphold her faith in him as well? Would his letdowns come back to haunt him at this unfortunate time, making this momentous fight against the Hiruma brothers his third opportunity for catastrophe? Would he even manage to outdo himself in creating despair and tragedy at this point?

'Never again. I'm not so naive as to believe that killing could never be a final resort, and I know the Battousai's... _my_ reasons behind it. Of course I do. There really are times when it's foolish not to kill, especially if it could mean saving a lot of people's lives. I know that. That's the reason why I became the Battousai in the first place.'

Kenshin exhaled. 'But still, there's a big difference between defending yourself because of your self-preservation instinct and killing someone in cold blood. It doesn't matter what your intentions are. When you make the conscious decision to end another person's life, then that's killing in cold blood right there; no ifs or buts. That's the whole point of the Battousai's persona: the willingness to use killing as a means to an end, regardless of moral implications and consequences.'

There were many occasions where Kenshin felt like he lived in a world of eggshells, with him always taking constant care not to break something... or someone. He, of all people, knew just how weak and delicate life... human or demon... really was. A stabbed heart here, a decapitation there; when you were pushed, killing was as easy as breathing.

Still, he never allowed himself to lose control of his incredible power over life and death even for a moment, even when he'd already crossed the line and became the Battousai, even when he had his back against the wall, even when killing truly was the only option, all because an innocent... any innocent, even his opponent at the time... might suffer and die in his hands if he did. Indeed, an imperfect justice system where the guilty got away in order to prevent the greater injustice of condemning an innocent was needed to keep the world from spinning out of control, or at least stop the hero from falling from grace himself.

Sure, this kind of blind justice made his mission of protecting the weak just a tad more complicated and difficult, but he was willing to take the risk and the trouble of holding back just so he wouldn't have to compromise his own principles and high morals. That was just the way he was. Only justice could bring peace.

Then again, Kenshin's pacifist self couldn't even begin to comprehend the hypocrisy behind protecting life by taking it away... death for life... becoming the judge and executioner and deciding which life mattered more than others or choosing to end a life in exchange for the lives of many just because he could didn't sound very heroic to him in the least.

These facts made his morals and actions seem rather dissonant with each other at times, Kenshin reckoned. Just who was he to decide who deserved death or not? The world wasn't divided evenly by black and white or good and evil. By taking justice into his own hands, what made him different from a totalitarian extremist who'd decided by himself who lived and died by forcing his own code and belief system upon others?

Such thoughts had haunted the Spirit Guardian in life as well as in death. Violence was never the answer, but when faced with a violent madman who endangered all those around him, what could he do?

On one hand, as someone who had already killed before and could kill again in a heartbeat, he knew the toll murder had on someone who'd never wanted to kill in the first place and only did so for noble, if rather misguided, reasons. He simply couldn't just go around wiping out people he didn't like. Well, he technically _could_ do just that, but it went against everything that he believed to be right. On the other hand, he couldn't just stand there and let injustice happen either.

When he was the Battousai, such choices became a lot simpler. With the Battousai's preeminence in the surface of his consciousness, any overwhelming emotions that clouded his thinking soon got stripped away... or at least momentarily pushed aside. He became a more methodical, more practical, and more pragmatic Kenshin... an attitude that made perfect sense when it came to facing life-or-death situations and the horrors of battle and war, because the thing that really held him back was his complex set of ethics and technical pacifism.

Battousai had no patience for such two-facedness, such as the ethics of sparing evil men at the cost of risking the lives of good people in the process. He who didn't punish evil commanded it to be done, he believed. But for someone who held himself back even less than Kenshin, he still made use of his tenuous control of his strength to its fullest, bottling up the lightning in his veins and the fire in his eyes with the pure, unadulterated concentration of a ray of light.

Too much hesitation and uncertainly would inevitably give birth to chaos and disaster just as quickly as a hasty and impetuous decision. Battousai, like Kenshin, also believed that only justice brought peace, only that he would never let an evil flourish just because his cheap morals and higher-than-thou outlook kept him from soiling his hands. That point became moot way back when he became a hitokiri for the Ishin Shishi more than a century ago anyway.

In any case, Kenshin knew the real deal in regards to killing. Slippery slope and moral ambiguities aside, he'd always managed... or at least struggled... to redirect his murderous instinct to a more positive direction, and his Battousai self was most certainly all about cold, calculating control and sobering restraint, despite what others might think. Alas, there were numerous occasions where enemies would take advantage of his holding back, having it backfire on his face from time to time.

If Kenshin had shown more decisiveness and acted sooner, then he probably wouldn't be in this position right now. The same could be said of all his other exploits in the past. He could've stopped the Hiruma brothers, Genbu, Rando, Saito, the Chojin, and even Shishio himself before everything in his life went to hell. His restraint and his self-control were hand-in-hand both his blessing and curse, shaping his character and marring his decisions.

'So will you or won't you?' Kenshin's emotionless, methodical Battousai self challenged him in the simplest of terms.

Kenshin shook his head as he addressed his other persona. 'I know that you aren't some blood-lusting psychopath who'd kill at the drop of a hat. All the same, don't you think that I have just as weighty a reason not to kill Botan and Hiruma as you have of killing them? Or anybody else, for that matter. Hope against hope, idealism against reality, I will find a way around it. Not because I believe that there's always a choice around not killing; I don't believe that for a second. And certainly not because Koenma Daio made some silly stipulation that I'd lose control once I do kill; I now understand that I embraced that condition because I never wanted to kill in the first place. That's what Botan made me realize just now.'

Battousai snorted impatiently. 'Isn't that attitude essentially selfish? You're basically just keeping yourself uncorrupted by not taking a life at the cost of many other people's lives! Sure, you won't stain your hands with the blood of another, but you'll be enabling murderers indirectly by letting them keep on doing what they're doing. I'm certain that any future victims the Hiruma brothers will have won't appreciate your decision not to kill. Botan certainly won't, especially if she doesn't survive this battle.'

'Selfish? Don't you think I _want_ to kill Hiruma?' Kenshin argued in seldom-manifested outrage. 'Killing him at this point is all too easy; we both know that. But if I kill Hiruma, he's going to take Botan with him, and there's no way I'm going to stand for that. More to the point, by resorting to murder by convenience, what separates me from Hiruma? What's to stop me from killing again? What if I become so desensitized by killing and disregarding the lives of both friend and foe that I'll begin using it to solve all of my problems? You know how great _that_ went during the Bakumatsu no Douran, don't you? Call me selfish or a hypocrite, but killing isn't even a choice at this point!'

'Huh. I guess we haven't scraped the bottom of the barrel yet. Just how much more dire must this situation become before you abandon your silly ideals and save Botan from a fate worse than death? Oh, sorry. Does that make too much sense to you? Then I apologize. My mistake. I admit, in the way you constantly deny yourself the pleasure of killing Hiruma, then sure; you're selfless. So selfless that you'll even let a mass-murdering chimera live and cause pain and suffering to even more innocent people that you so claim to protect,' Battousai retorted so crisply that Kenshin had to wince.

'Of course! How dare I not sacrifice my moral code because its currently inconveniencing me at the moment! How dare I not make the situation worse by doing something I don't want to do in the first place!' Kenshin hotly answered back. Then, after a lengthy pause, he explicated, 'Look. Thing is, killing Hiruma is exactly what the Chojin wants; he wants Hiruma to drive me to the point of killing him because it probably ties in with their bid for world domination or something. I'm not sure, I wasn't really paying attention to Hiruma's rants. Still, this fight will become meaningless if the Demon Sword gets corrupted. There's got to be another way. I know I've said that killing will occasionally be an option, but it should only be reserved as the very last option!'

Battousai metaphorically rolled his eyes. 'Spare me the 'You shall not kill' bullshit; killing Hiruma won't make you a bloodthirsty murderer. It's a little too late for that already, don't you think? Besides, the only ones who've ever entertained such a silly notion have never killed themselves. Who cares if the Chojin has manipulated everything so that you'll be forced to kill? Who cares about Koenma's silly stipulation? Do you really have so little trust in yourself that you'd automatically presume you'll again become a psychopath by killing a psychopath? You'll become a vigilante, maybe, but you won't suddenly start killing people at random. Get real. Killing doesn't work that way. What's to stop you from killing again? Simple. It depends on whether or not the person you're facing deserves to be killed. This is not the time to dillydally about killing, Himura Kenshin.'

'I'm not dillydallying. I know exactly what I'm doing,' Kenshin adamantly insisted to himself. 'If I fail, I'll give you free reign to do whatever you feel is right; save Botan and the others for me. But before that happens, I'll stick with my decision and rescue Botan in my own way.'

'Then what are you going to do? Time is running out. Decide now,' came Battousai's ultimatum.

'It's not really even a choice. Even if scumbags like the Hiruma brothers or the Chojin himself deserved to die, I will not be the one to make that decision if I can help it. Never again will I let what happened to Tomoe and Kaoru happen to anyone else ever again: not to Botan, and not even to the Hiruma brothers. A life is a life; they're all equally precious. Besides,' Kenshin smiled as the hands of time started to move again. 'I give my trust to Botan as well. It's only fair.'

The Demon Sword Guardian couldn't see the Battousai nod in agreement, but he took his other self's admission of, 'I don't really care what your decision is, so long as you're completely sure and unhesitant about it,' as a sign of approval, or at least assent.

Kenshin finally realized that it didn't matter that he couldn't save Botan from Hiruma as the Battousai. He ultimately decided not to kill the both of them in order to save the former from being fully absorbed into the latter's body. What he did instead was employ a feint using his kenki and continue the mind game tactics he'd been executing since he transformed back from Battousai to Kenshin, unbeknownst to the gigantic crossbreed. From there, Kenshin did his 'leap of faith' high above the slow-as-molasses, mix-and-match beast, his body becoming a blur as he defied the very concept of gravity itself.

* * *

The hero was helplessly assaulted and bruised; he couldn't keep up with his enemy. Then the villain picked up a child, girlfriend, or someone similar and drew back his weapon for a killing blow... and suddenly, the hero was able to ignore his wounds and charge at his enemy, attacking with a flurry of furious blows that utterly overwhelmed his opponent.

Or at least, that was the idea. Unstoppable rage and heroic resolve are usually seen as a response to a threat against something or someone that the protagonist cared deeply about, gaining his newfound power purely from guts and the desire to protect. But for Kenshin, the situation was a bit more complicated than that. He wanted to protect not only the hostage's life, but his opponent's life too; and because he couldn't wait for Hiruma's karmic death, he had to attack immediately while keeping those rather troubling thoughts at the back of his mind.

In any case, the battle had finally reached its fever pitch, with Hiruma leaping a hundred feet up in the air in response to Kenshin's diving attack, both combatants engaging in one last-ditch effort to one-up each other... and, apparently, the amalgamated beast was able to cheat his way into winning the exchange, all thanks to his special little contingency plan: absorbing one of Koenma's Angels/his personal kidnapping fodder, Botan. To hell with Kenshin's heroic resolve! Hiruma would beat the odds and subvert the norm, even (or especially) if he had to systematically break down the supposed hero's spirit in the process. Sure, it made him the villain of this story without a doubt, but he wouldn't have it any other way anyway.

"KUZU RYU SEN!"

As Hiruma expected... specifically _counted on_, in fact... Kenshin held back on using the full power of his instantaneous nine-strike attack at the last second, with the special technique's final strike... the 'tsuki' or a forward sword thrust... stopping just short of stabbing Botan's throat. What Hiruma wasn't able to count on, despite having enough savvy to use the shinigami as an effective shield of sorts against Kenshin's unblockable attacks, was the amount of power the watered-down strikes still possessed.

So, with all the exquisite agony that Hiruma experienced regardless, his body's complex network of pain receptors firing up all at the same time, he felt that the Spirit Guardian might as well not have held himself back. Then again, he was still alive and well, Botan was still his hostage, and he most definitely still had the upper hand in this fight this time around. A bout of mind-blowing suffering was hardly going to change any of that.

'So much for your accusations of me losing my mind and being manipulated by the Chojin, you samurai chump! I'm the real winner here! I... I've won. Yes, I did. Who cares about what I _want_? You never really know what you want till you get it, anyway! Besides, I've won against the Legendary Battousai! That's what every demon wants to accomplish, right? Yeah. To win against the Guardian of the Demon Sword and make use of the Reikai Artifact's power; I guess that's what I wanted to do. No, that's definitely it!' the monster ranted to himself, unaware of the extent of his unraveling mind's damage.

"I leave the rest to you," Kenshin enigmatically remarked as he sheathed his sword and let gravity take control of his exhausted body, diving backwards to the Genbu-devastated ground a hundred feet below. He was now in an awkward and vulnerable position that left him wide open to any number of Hiruma's overwhelming counterattacks.

Hiruma could hardly contain his glee; it was like Kenshin had just quietly wrapped himself in a neat bow and handed himself over to him. The youkai was ecstatic, if a bit relieved. Because of the promising turn of events, he didn't need to die in order to corrupt the Youtou Shinnoken anymore. All he had to do now was reach down, eliminate the impotent Battousai, and make use of the sword's power for himself. Everything was going his way for once, save for one problem... Hiruma couldn't move a muscle right then and there for some reason, his aching body turning as frigid as a rock. "What in the...?"

Even though the slashes of Kenshin's weakened yet painful Nine-Headed Dragon Flash were hardly enough to render Hiruma incapacitated... much less dead, despite its ability to torture... he sorely underestimated the deepness of its cuts and the fact that Botan, his only ace in the hole in this fight, was also proving to be his greatest weakness too.

Hiruma had been so preoccupied with stopping the ferry-girl from completely escaping his belly that he neglected to take into account the fact that it was taking him a whole lot of energy to literally keep himself together in the first place. With the combined forces of Kenshin's attack, Botan's insistence to escape, and Hiruma's own high-maintenance, hodgepodge body that sapped him of his recently siphoned jaki power at an alarming rate, the cross-hybrid demon felt himself start to fall apart from the seams.

The truthful mind could endure all deceit and deception without getting lost. The truthful heart could touch the venom of hate without being harmed. From time without end, darkness flourished in the abyss, but always yielded to hallowed light. Those were the things that entered Botan's mind as she struggled against Hiruma's clutches; she didn't really understand these words at first, but she was comforted by their wisdom.

Botan concentrated her reiki-based powers some more: far more than Kenshin had anticipated. "Botan, what are you doing? Get out of there now! Hiruma might still get you if you don't use this opportunity to escape _right this instant_!" the Spirit Guardian protested.

Botan turned to face Kenshin, her pinkish eyes seemingly boring holes into his very person. She then winked impishly at him and reassured, "Didn't I tell you to trust me too? I won't let myself be your load; I couldn't stand it! I never was such a person during Yusuke's rise as a Spirit Detective, and I won't be like that during your fights against this Chojin person as well. Just watch and learn, samurai boy!"

Kenshin balked as a fleeting vision of Kaoru's face superimposed itself on Botan's visage, a feeling of wistfulness and nostalgia filling his heart. 'What was that all about?'

From there, Kenshin heard Hiruma screech: a strangled, choking gasp of torment and agony. The crossbreed, completely helpless, watched in mounting horror as Botan struggled against his abominable (abdominal?) trap, the bright blue-green ki in her delicate hands building rather than diminishing. The skin of his cracked face tingled in agony, almost as if in response to the power buildup of Botan's reiatsu. The beast could feel it... feel the might of her willpower and determination increasing before him, converging in the palms of her hands, and knew that, after what he had made her endure, she would give her escape her all.

Hiruma clenched his beastly teeth in agonized frustration, his feral eyes haunted and desperate as he struggled hard to keep on fighting. 'Dammit, kidnap victims aren't supposed to do shit like this. This is a serious breach in tradition! Why can't you just be still while I finished your emasculated knight-in-shining-armor off like a good hostage?' the Iehik part of Hiruma's brain scolded Botan telepathically using the remnants of their increasingly tenuous bond.

'Oh, shut up and screw yourself,' Botan scoffed as she finally paid Iehik back for the Kanashibari mind-breaking technique he'd unleashed upon her earlier by releasing the blinding force of her mass of shinigami power right into Hiruma's very ki-flow, spreading itself like an intravenous feed into his demonic bloodstream.

The ferry-girl briefly appraised the current progress of her attempt at escaping Hiruma's body. She'd so far managed to extricate even more of herself out of his abdomen... right up to her knees, in fact. That was good. Just one more push, then.

The push came in the form of her entire body turning into a conduit of purifying energy as her reiatsu battle aura converted Hiruma's toxic black jaki into pure aqua reiki. At first, Hiruma's borrowed negative energy enveloped Botan's body almost completely, covering it with an unspeakable void of poison, decay, and death, but eventually, Botan's immaculate aura took over.

Hiruma's body was afterwards swathed by the blue-haired girl's own luminescent spirit, and the straw that broke the camel's back also broke his weakening frame, except replace 'straw' with 'high-level spirit power few shinigami ever mastered'.

With grim determination, the ferry-girl pushed one final time and successfully broke free from Hiruma's cowardly trap, which resulted in him receiving an unbelievable amount of damage from the simple act of bodily separation. This dire consequence happened because, unbeknownst to him, Botan was actually the only thing holding his monstrous yet volatile frame together at that point.

Hiruma had taken so much accumulated damage from Battousai's devastating attacks that his hybrid body had become unstable; so much so that, had he not thought of the brilliant idea of merging the ferry-girl into himself in the first place, he would've lost the war of attrition sooner than he would've anticipated.

The Hiruma brothers were never within Kenshin's league from the very start to the very end of this battle, despite the artificial enhancement of their powers care of the mysterious Onmyouji and the Shisejyu body parts, as well as Kenshin's unwillingness to go all out on them. As such, Botan was merely the unexpected catalyst to Hiruma's mounting burdens in this instance. The demon's attempts at becoming a diabolical mastermind who could make his opponent do exactly as he wanted while the latter cursed his name all the while was for naught. Battousai was right; he truly was the pawn and the fool of this story, and nothing more.

Still, though Kenshin had given Botan the necessary inch of leeway she needed to escape, the surprisingly innovative shinigami used that very inch to carve out a veritable mile of payback. Botan had used the large amounts of charged-up reiatsu she'd accumulated inside Hiruma's belly to tear apart the chimera's body in order to escape. "A-Amazing!" Kenshin appraised in wonder.

Falling straight into Kenshin's waiting arms, Botan collapsed in a rather trite and unintentionally intimate embrace with the redhead, much to her growing embarrassment and consternation. She also had an out-of-the-blue desire to blurt out, "You are not my _boyfriend_!" despite the fact that no one was asking, and it would really make the already awkward situation worse. She even had the suspicious feeling that the Kenshin-loving Kaoru Kamiya inside her mind liked the situation even less.

Then Botan remembered she could fly, and promptly did so, summoning her oar and boarding it with Kenshin as she removed the both of them from Hiruma's reach and the mortifying situation/position they were both in. She was _so_ on the roll in these last few moments of the fight.

Hiruma roared like an indignant yet toothless lion as he saw the two rabbits he was chasing escape. He gasped and coughed, horrified and ashamed at the circumstances surrounding Botan's release, retching at the awful taste in his mouth, and gingerly favoring the gaping hole where his stomach used to be as the remaining amount of jaki currently hemorrhaging out of his body went at odds with his deteriorating condition. Despite all his urging and goading, Kenshin proved just how weak he really was by managing to win their battle anyway by virtue of overall health.

So now what? What sick lesson had Hiruma learned now? What sort of twisted moral had the browbeaten behemoth gotten from this mortifying experience? That, no matter how hard he tried, how many times his two selves... Iehik and Iehog... trained to improve their demonic powers, how many demonic parts they stole, how diabolical Iehik's plans were, how determined Iehog got, and how many horrifying things they went through, somebody more talented and powerful would always bring them down? That they would forever be, instead of cosmic horrors, cosmic jokes? That it was wrong for a demon to dream of a better life?

Was that it? Was hard work only reserved for those gifted enough to make it matter in the end, and if those less-than-talented actually tried to improve their lot in life, the fates would conspire against them, putting them back in their place? Did some people simply deserve more out of life because it was their birthright? That Hiruma's only purpose was to merely highlight the gallant hero's heroism, the dear damsel's purity, and that Hiruma himself was fated to fall into the fiery pits of hell, where there would be wailing and gnashing of teeth forever and ever, until the end of time?

'Screw that,' Iehik thought, and Iehog agreed, which made their feelings become one again and compelled their minds to become 'Hiruma' once more. Even at the cusp of nigh-defeat, even when their body was about to be torn asunder by the dark powers given to them, their mantra remained the same. To hell with life lessons and destiny, because life sucked and destiny was overrated.

Botan was only a good twenty feet away from the falling Hiruma when the overly dramatic hybrid used the darkness in his missing belly to redirect his surplus of jaki into a concentrated blast that was neither the Mei-Kou-Shou-Kai-Ha nor the Kyomei-Jissatsu-Jin: Fu no Senrei; instead, the negative force coalesced to form an endless maelstrom powered by the Hiruma brothers' mindless obsession and dark ambition.

"Holy Spirit World, doesn't he ever stop?" Botan cursed under her breath as she performed some aerial maneuvers to avoid the closest of the deadly attacks, the projectiles effectively razing whatever was left of the patio below into what looked like the United State's world-famous Grand Canyon. On their own, Iehik and Iehog were able to increase the power of their jaki with their combined feelings of motivation and hope... hope that they could prove Battousai wrong and show him that they were not mere puppets to their destiny. Ironically, their self-destructive actions illustrated the exact opposite of their intentions.

"Hiruma, stand down _now_. Your body has taken too much abuse already. Escape and live to fight another day! To continue this battle is pointless," Kenshin begged from afar as Botan struggled to escape from the damned hybrid demon's machinations _yet again_, but Hiruma would have none of that.

"Live? This is the very moment that I've been living for! That Iehik and Iehog had been living for! Fuck living an empty existence afterwards; this is the fight of our lives! It's either you kill us or we'll kill you all, motherfuckers!"

Kenshin had already seen what Hiruma was attempting to do before; he'd witnessed it a good one hundred and fifteen years ago, in fact. Even with his occasionally unreliable memory, the redhead could never forget the fiery self-destruction of Shishio's crippled body once the mummy-like samurai surpassed his supposed limits. How could he forget? His greatest opponent's self-combustion was the very cause of his own defeat, demise, and Reikai-imposed incarceration. In any case, the same thing was happening to Hiruma now: unlimited negative energy power at the cost of his own limited constitution.

Therefore, in the middle of him lobbing numerous Retsu Hoko shots using the chaos swirling inside his hollow viscera at the still-bleary Botan and the equally hapless Kenshin, missing his targets by mere inches, Hiruma felt his body start to corrode from the inside out, the toxicity of the Chojin's evil energy finally taking its toll on his hefty frame. Thusly, for the first time since his epic fight with Kenshin began, Hiruma felt _genuine_ terror and dread, amplified tenfold by the irrepressible waves of jaki feeding unto his negative emotions.

"H-Help me! HELP ME, CHOJIN-SAMA! RANDO-SAMA! ONMYOUJI-SAMA!" Hiruma beseeched desperately, remembering in kind the panic and despair he'd experienced when Kenshin's Battousai self talked him down like a child. Tragically enough, it wasn't really Kenshin or the Battousai who defeated him this day; he was duped by some rank-and-file shinigami he'd kept around as bait to cut down the spirit guardian's effectiveness in battle.

Hiruma's eyes lit up. Yes, it was all Botan's fault. Everything was going according to plan until she decided to ruin everything by becoming some sort of wildcard to his schemes! How dare she! She must pay for her crimes. And, like the only flotsam on his sea of misery, Hiruma held on to that illogical idea for dear life, conveniently blaming all of his troubles on the shinigami. He decided that if he was going to die then and there, then he would take both the ferry-girl and the spirit guardian with him.

A Retsu Hoko hit the pair a bit too close to home, tearing the flat part of Botan's oar into splinters and making both her and Kenshin spiral out of control. At that very moment, the resolute Hiruma was neither thinking straight nor pondering about the highfaluting values of improving his lot in life and becoming more than he could ever be.

What Hiruma wanted now was vengeance, pure and simple. To his confused, panic-stricken, corrupted, and ultimately deteriorating mind, his choices weren't between vengeance or finding a solution to his own pitfalls; vengeance was the solution. "The harlot will die, and yes, I'm doing it out of spite. I want to see her die. I want to watch the light dim in her eyes as she realizes that there will be no tomorrow for her. I also want to see your eyes, Battousai, as it dawns to you that, yes, because of your unwillingness to kill me, somebody else will die! Suffer and die with that knowledge!"

Just then, as Hiruma caught up with the falling Kenshin and Botan, the darkness on his abdomen promising a world of pointless agony in the form of a screaming vortex that, as far as vortexes go, was plenty powerful... it had the basic features of razing everything in its path and the added bonus of having a toxic aura that could render the nearest living being into a trembling, fetal ball of wretchedness... the most random event possible happened. A large blue demonic bird the size of a small aircraft swooped over the duo, shielding them from the brunt of the subsequent onslaught.

"..." Kenshin remarked before saying his trademark phrase that started and ended with the letter 'o' or spelled only in katakana, because its closest homophone kanji had the rather distasteful meaning of 'feminine discharge'. And, speaking of bodily excretions, the demon bird's name was incidentally...

"PUU!" Botan greeted the sizable animal as she lovingly nuzzled his beak before helping herself and Kenshin climb atop the non-singed portion of his back for added shelter and protection against jaki-related perils. "Good bird! Now how did you know where to find and rescue us from that stubborn and mindless demon hybrid bent on annihilating us completely? Not that I'm doubting your abilities or anything; I'm just curious."

Puu cheerily let out a cacophony of squawks in reply. "I see." Botan sighed, rubbing her fingers over her forehead. Rather than trying to translate bird to Japanese, the ferry-girl instead put two and two together. "Did your coming here have something to do with Yusuke, Puu?"

Kenshin tilted his head to the side in askance. "What does this demon bird have to do with Yusuke-dono, Botan? I remember this creature from when Genkai-dono gave us a tour of her temple, with Yusuke-dono calling him his pet of sorts, but aside from that and the fact that he's a demon bird the size of a _car_, I don't really recall anything significant about him."

"Oh? Didn't you know? Well, I guess you probably wouldn't, would you? You've literally been under a rock when Yusuke was but a guy who died when he wasn't supposed to die," Botan considered, tentatively scratching her cheek at Kenshin's understandable cluelessness. Ergo, she decided to get him up to speed concerning Puu's true identity.

"Well, it's sort of a long story, but Puu is basically Yusuke's spirit beast. He feeds off his owner, Yusuke's energy, and takes his form based on the nature of that energy. He also has the same sort of bond with Yusuke that you yourself had care of the Demon Sword's magic. As such, when Yusuke gets hurt, angry, or becomes more powerful, so does Puu. This big guy here is like... Yusuke's very own mood ring, only that he's a gigantic demon bird. So yeah."

Puu screeched some more, as though to corroborate Botan's testimony.

"Okay. I think I understand now," Kenshin confirmed wistfully, his eyes half-lidded and his expression pensive. "Even though Yusuke-dono had already fainted and spent all his spirit energy after his grueling fight against Rando, he still found a way to help me in my time of need... in the form of his very own spirit beast saving me from certain doom, no less. What a guy."

"HA! Yusuke was planning something clever on purpose? You must not know him very well, then," Botan scoffed jokingly, then cautiously looked behind them to see if Hiruma was still on their tail. What she saw instead horrified her. The behemoth's body had gained an ashen pallor... even his scaled and leathery parts were infected... as it convulsed and contorted itself into a variety of shapes and positions that barely resembled anything that a living, non-protozoan creature could manage to pull off.

"By Enma's beard! What's happening to Hiruma?" Botan worriedly asked Kenshin as she reflexively grabbed his kimono's sleeve in apprehension.

"He's destroying himself. Or rather, he's already destroyed himself. His body can't handle that much jaki anymore. It's finally reached its limits, separating into its component parts," Kenshin concluded grimly as he closed his eyes and bowed his head in seeming prayer for the Hiruma brothers' damned souls.

"BIG BROTHER!" Iehog blubbered pathetically as the now-nonexistent Hiruma's body fell apart, just as Kenshin predicted; before the enormous youkai could even wrap his mind around the unfortunate fact, he was already flying a good ten feet away from his brother and the severed Shisejyu body parts they'd so carefully scavenged on the other side of Genkai's property, his power reduced to that of a mere C-level demon.

Unfortunately, as established earlier, all that was left of Iehog's precious brother was a mere brain... grey matter that would quickly crumble apart in midair if Iehog didn't do something about it. 'Iehog! Save me! SAVE ME!' the poor demon-turned-internal-organ begged his sibling.

His horror rising, Iehog bared his fangs, the mist of his frostbitten breath billowing from the gaps of his frothing mouth as he dived after Iehik and the Shisejyu parts. Luckily, the Seiryu aspect of Hiruma's hybrid body hadn't completely separated from Iehog, so he was still able to make a frozen water slide to help accelerate his descent. Alas, he was too late; although he was able to retrieve Seiryu's arm, the Byakko body parts had already disintegrated into worthless chunks of rotting flesh, while Iehik's brain was now...

Gone. Iehik was now gone. The one constant in Iehog's life... his mentor, guardian, partner, and only friend... was now gone forever, turned into worthless giblets by intense air pressure. And it was all Iehog's fault; his mindless determination to finish Botan off led Hiruma to self-destruct.

Iehog laughed crazily: a bitter sound that woke Kenshin and Botan from their false impression of security and made Puu hesitate in mid-flight. "I have nothing left. You're the only one I had, big brother. And now... now that I've lost you... I need to do this. I need to... I don't understand it myself, but like you always said, _we_ need to fulfill our destiny." The youkai's eyes lit up with an impossibly deep steadfastness as his voice trembled. "I want our lives to _mean_ something, and this is the only way I know how!"

Then, impossibly, Iehog heard his brother speak to him; he wasn't sure if it was from his own crazed imagination or if Kenshin and the ferry-girl could hear Iehik talk as well, but he didn't care. To him, his wise and all-knowing big brother was drawling, "Very good, little brother. You finally understand where I'm coming from. Now quickly, take Seiryu's arm, merge it with yours, and use every last bit of your hopes, sadness, desperation, and rage to take control of this growing ball of darkness inside of you so that we can finally fulfill our destiny!" And so Iehog did exactly as he was told.

Seiryu's dragon arm soon reintegrated into Iehog's depressed, browbeaten form; from there, the youkai's metamorphosis happened right away. Subsequently, an abominable pit so dark and foreboding that Kenshin, Botan, and Puu's eyes collectively recoiled upon seeing it ripped itself in the air. It was yet another inimitable vortex of jaki, but one so powerful it equaled, perhaps even surpassed, the whirling spindle of black energy Hiruma produced before. Twinkling sparks of brilliant vermillion shone out from that appalling maelstrom, and the aura of concentrated dread poured forth from the fissure like some venomous miasma.

"This is getting ridiculous," Kenshin dully whispered, in awe of what he was witnessing. "Iehog's power had already gone down to C-Class when he, his brother, and the Shisejyu parts separated from one other, yet by merely getting Seiryu's arm back, he was able to accelerate back to the B-Level power he just lost! Where is he getting all this strength? Why does he keep on fighting? Doesn't he realize that his so-called destiny has been a joke the Chojin made at his and his brother's expense all along? Is he really going to force himself to continue this pointless battle?"

"He's acting just like Yusuke, the poor fool," Botan assessed, gulping and shivering in incredulity. "He'll never give up. The more you beat him down, the more determined he becomes. If you take away anything of importance to him, he'll become even more powerful than you can ever imagine. Really, the only thing separating him from Yusuke, in my eyes, is the fact that he's uglier and crazier than him; scarier too. Who does he think he is, the hero of this story?"

"Why the hell not? Why should I let you dictate to me how I'm going to live my life? How my brother and I are going to live our lives?" Iehog spat as he flew forward, ignoring the fact that his jaki-immolated body was crumbling into ash and dust even as he spoke. "The future we're trying to reach isn't a future you've already decided upon! I'll be the one to choose my tomorrow!"

Iehog seemed to grow as he approached the flying trio, swelling with his endless umbra, his remaining limbs thrashing about as if caught in the grip of some wild storm. His blood-red eyes burned with the promise of crimson hellfire, zeroing in on his would-be victims with their hideous glare. The sheer power that pulsed from the monster beggared the imagination. From there, he unleashed wholesale nine Fu no Senrei leviathans in answer to Kenshin's own Kuzu Ryu Sen attack earlier.

Iehog's furious Trial of Negation onslaughts bruised the sky with nebulous clouds of black and blue plasma as the air became sharp with the conflicting scents of ice and fire. Rivulets of black smoke burst out from the core of the nauseating spiral of Fu no Senrei, arcing back and hurtling towards Botan, Kenshin, and Puu's direction like an elemental antipode roiling through the surface of the planet Mercury.

"P-Puu, can you out-fly those things? Even _you_ can't survive that many Fu no Senrei," Botan queried in concern, to which Puu merely chirped in reply. In mere seconds, the ice-and-fire dragons surrounded them in a spiraling sphere of certain doom. There was no escape.

"There's no need to run anymore," Kenshin suddenly declared as he jumped onto the top of Puu's head, his sword arm already grasping the hilt of the sheathed Youtou Shinnoken.

"...W-Wait, what? I thought you didn't want to kill anyone, human or demon! What was the point of holding back earlier if you're going to kill Iehog now?" Botan complained to Kenshin as her mind desperately searched for some other, less morally ambiguous way out of this predicament.

"My selfish desire to leave my hands unsoiled by demon blood is at an end. If anything, Iehog has proven to me that he deserves to die by my blade, come what may," Kenshin concluded, readying himself with his proverbial battoujutsu stance. 'Dammit, Chojin. You're just like Shishio. Using a confused yet well-meaning creature like this to do your bidding is simply unforgivable!'

Yet despite Kenshin's willingness to finally abandon his morals once he was forced against another wall of difficult decisions, the gigantic stone hand of karma reared its craggy fingers and stopped Iehog's last stand cold on its feet.

"W-What... now?" Botan tiredly managed to squeak out as she collapsed into a weary bundle of exhaustion on Puu's back; the back-and-forth roller coaster of unexpected events and subversions was starting to get to her. "Is that... Genbu's giant hand? By Koenma's Sacred Pacifier, we're not going to fight _ even more_ resurrected dead bad guys, are we? There should be a goddamn quota per resurrection!"

"No... Look," Kenshin curtly compelled as he mutely pointed at what was happening below them. The remnants of Genbu's body... notably, half of his head, an arm, and part of his torso... struggled against the ticking jaki time bomb that was Iehog by lobbing and burying him under as much Bakuretsu-Ganshou-Dan rubble and landslides as possible. "Genbu-dono's helping us out. Can you believe it?"

"Now I've seen almost everything. Kenshin, kill me now before I see Hiei pregnant with Kurama's kid," an exhausted, seemingly jetlagged Botan kidded... or so she told herself.

Kenshin raised a curious eyebrow at that last comment. "Why would mountains impregnate each other?" He then shook his head as if to clear it. "Never mind that; Genbu-dono and Iehog are going to kill each other! We've got to stop them somehow!"

Botan opened her mouth to protest, but thought the better of it and instead raised her hands up in complete surrender. "Whatever. Fine. Okay. Do whatever the hell you want, Kenshin. The world's gone bat-shit insane anyway, so I'm fine with whatever floats your boat."

Meanwhile, Iehog struggled frantically against Genbu's unforeseen betrayal of their cause, dealing more damage to the second-to-the-last-surviving Shisejyu than Kurama and Kenshin combined. "THIS ISN'T FAIR! This isn't fair at all! How dare you get in the way of my vengeance, you damn Johnny-come-lately! Aren't we on the same side? Aren't we supposed to corrupt the Demon Sword, destroy the Reikai Tantei, and start a jihad for the glory of the great Chojin? What's gotten in to you, you fucking traitor? Let go of me! Let go of me, or so help me I'm going to...!"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP," Genbu boomed with an undertone of malice, making the entire mountainside tremble with the might of his voice. "You're a fucking moron, you know that? The Chojin can kiss my ass. Seeing what he did to you and your imp of a big brother, I'd rather go about things my way from now own, thank you very much. You want to get to the Battousai? Then you have to go through me first."

Iehog, being the obedient demon that he was, did exactly as he was told, blasting Genbu's body with the inescapable might of the Fu no Senrei dragons. The stone golem's constitution was still equivalent to that of brittle chalk... the reason for his earlier defeat against Battousai... so even though his healing factor were still up to par, he himself was at the edge of his rope in regards to staying alive. A few more good shots and he was sure to be a goner.

"You don't understand a thing, you petty excuse for a Shisejyu. You can't stop me. Compared to you, weakest of the Saint Beasts, I'm a god. You know why? It's because of what I've been through. To enumerate, my brother and I have held our grudge for Himura Kenshin for more than a century, culminating to this fight where we've sacrificed our dignity, individuality, and in my brother's case, his very own life in order to win!"

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**To be Continued...**

_Next: The stony hand of karma._

I'd just like to note that, as far as I'm concerned, when writing this story, I have no interest in applying to it what I believe is right and wrong; what _ does_ interest me is showing why these characters do what they do, complete with whatever justifications they have for their actions regardless if I or anybody else find their reasons laughable, stupid, pitiful, or downright noble. That makes for a far more interesting story, I believe.

_Paalam!_  
**Abdiel**


	17. Chapter 16

**Youtou Shinnoken: Demon Sword**

A Yuyu Hakusho/Rurouni Kenshin fic  
by Chester Castañeda

Original concept by Chad Yang

When will Hiruma (actually, Iehog) die already? And what's Kaoru doing inside Botan's head? Read on to find out more.

_Disclaimer: Yuyu Hakusho is the rightful property of Yoshihiro Togashi, Shueisha, Fuji TV and St. Pierrot. Rurouni Kenshin is the rightful property of Nobuhiro Watsuki and Sony. This disclaimer also covers all the other copyrighted material that are far too many to mention here. Don't sue me please, I'm very poor._

* * *

**Chapter 16: To Protect Loved Ones (Part 4)**

* * *

Absurd amounts of evil energy emanated from Iehog's hulking body as he tore through Genbu's continuous blitzes of avalanches and earthquakes. It was an miasma of raw power that froze Botan's breath in her lungs and left Kenshin in a spellbound trance as he kept getting visions of his sinful past. The last remaining Hiruma brother seemed less demonic and more like an unstoppable force of nature that promised to cause one catastrophe after another if he were ever unleashed into the world.

Botan turned towards her companion earnestly, tugging at his hakama while he stood steadfast on Puu's head. The aura of sheer dread that pulsed from Iehog dwarfed the power of anything she'd felt from the behemoth before, save his stint as the nigh-unstoppable, jaki-addicted Hiruma, setting her every nerve burning with the primal need to flee for her very life. "K-Kenshin! Why are Genbu and Iehog killing each other? I don't understand at all!"

"I don't know why either," Kenshin admitted, then shouted to Genbu, "What's the meaning of this, Genbu-dono? You don't stand a chance against Iehog! Besides, he's good as dead anyway. You better let me handle him. It's not your place to..."

"SHADDAP! This fight isn't about you, samurai. Besides, I can handle this loser," Genbu assured the bemused Kenshin as he weathered through the Fu no Senrei typhoon that gradually eroded whatever was left of his gigantic, rocky constitution.

"Can you? Can you really? Then handle THIS!" Iehog raged as he merged the nine dragon heads circling around him with his deteriorating body, literally turning himself into his own version of Ashura, the God of Destruction he'd metaphorically represented early on in his first metamorphosis into a relentless killing machine.

One attack from his collection of pseudo-arms resulted in Genbu instantly losing his remaining limbs. "My brother and I lied, robbed, and cheated our way to get to this moment, and even in the face of certain defeat, we still continue to fight. With that in mind, do you think you have what it takes to beat me? Do you have the kind of moxie and determination that my brother and I have? Do you have the decades-old resolve and courage to do as we did, and finish me off in a way the Battousai never could? Simply put: YOU DON'T!"

Genbu's gigantic half-head smirked his trademark broken grin as he stared down at Iehog like he would a tantrum-throwing child, despite all the damage he'd sustained thus far. "Is that all you got? Then it's you who don't understand. Stop trying to act all tough and shit. Just what kind of demon are you, thinking that pretty speeches, pointless resolve, and naive idealism will get you anywhere? If you've only fought as good as you spoke, then I'd be impressed! As is, you're simply making me sick! To me, compared to the Battousai's strikes, this is NOTHING!"

"Huh. You're the one to speak. My brother and I turned our karmic punishment on its head and lived our lives as demons to the fullest with the single-minded purpose of facing down the Battousai. We've gone way beyond our status in life, becoming more powerful than in our wildest dreams because of our determination to ruin the Battousai's life! What have _you_ done that's so special? Compared to us... to _me_... you're the one who's nothing at all! Nothing at all! NOTHING AT ALL! NOTHING AT ALL! NOTHINGATALL! NOTHING!" Iehog compellingly argued, punctuating every one of his not-so-sweet 'nothings' with a multi-strike charge from each of his Fu no Senrei dragonhead tentacles.

Yet another powerful explosion, comparatively larger than the previous ones, consequently rocked the remnants of Genbu's decimated profile. The clouds of dust from the blast soon formed into a spiral that shot upwards into the sky, creating a tornado-like sandstorm that swallowed everything in its path. All the while, the Shisejyu's half-face had only one thing to mouth to Iehog: "Sucker."

To Iehog's chagrin, Genbu turned the tables on him by suddenly absorbing large amounts of the Fu no Senrei's destructive jaki unto himself by sheer force of will, fueling the nightmarish power with his own overblown sense of pride... one of the seven deadly sins... while at the same time taking advantage of the complete disintegration of his body by summoning his very last combination of attacks... namely, the Chou-Bakuretsu-Ganshou-Dan: Genbu no Hoko and the Tetsuzan Kou Ougi: Genbu no Ikari... for good measure.

'Holy shit! How dare he use Byakko's energy absorption tactic against me! If there's anyone who's going to mimic techniques here, then it's going to be _me_!' Iehog seethed as he delayed Genbu's total reformation by tearing apart the nearest humanoid-looking rock as soon as it appeared.

Dust streaming from his stone armor, the half-formed Genbu jetted into the orange and azure skies by sliding through higher ground and, once reaching the apex of his ascent, slapping his automobile-sized palms together, making them explode into a meteorite-like shower of wreckage and debris. With a final roar, one of Iehog's dragons died from the powerful shock of falling boulders that spread destruction everywhere, knocking the lone Hiruma sibling down. The Shisejyu teetered slightly with his unbalanced weight as he grinned down at Iehog's prone form.

Iehog lifted himself up with two of his serpent arms, then used three others to block Genbu's oncoming strikes while the mouths of the last three glowed with a black halo of coruscating energy. As a result of Iehog's perfect balance of offense and defense, Genbu's uncompleted body soon buckled to the ground, riddled with holes and craters, which forced him to sacrifice the rest of his stumps-for-arms by turning them into a thousand speeding stalactite spears care of the Bakuretsu-Ganshou-Dan.

Iehog gestured, and his leviathan tentacles pushed the conical rocks away by a sudden shriek of tempestuous wind, the four pairs of howling death homing in towards the hapless rock monster. With just one attack, Genbu's frame disintegrated into dust, his body crumbling in the middle of screeching Ashura limbs that weathered him down with the combined forces of the harsh elements and an almost instantaneous and unilateral application of intense pressure. At that point, the mountainous but limbless Genbu was about as threatening as a statue: a talking statue, but a statue nonetheless.

With a show of meaningless pride that went hand-in-hand with Iehog's own stubbornness, Genbu continued to smirk his grotesque, self-satisfied grin at the smaller demon. "Tough luck, motherfucker. I can take more than you can dish out. You better get your priorities straight. Go eat your crow pie and moral victory now before I shove them down your throat!"

Iehog harrumphed in disdain as he lifted Genbu's colossal bust at Kenshin and company, intending to make up for wasted time by making better use of the annoying Shisejyu's delaying tactics to his advantage. What the adamant Hiruma brother didn't count on was that the stone golem never intended to be a mere distraction in the first place. "On second thought, scratch what I said earlier. No crow-eating for you... I'll be the one to eat you instead," Genbu abruptly hissed.

"What...?" was what Iehog blurted out before he unwillingly combined with yet another Shisejyu, but this time he was on the receiving end of the cannibalistic ritual. From there, after finally digesting... pun unintended... the current turn of events, Kenshin warily observed Genbu's behavior, half-expecting him to suddenly amalgamate with Iehog's mind and attack him with gleeful abandon. Instead, Genbu merely laughed at the redhead's suspicious look. "You've read my mind, samurai. If only my body can take as much negative energy power as the Hiruma brothers can, then maybe I'd be kicking your ass right about now. As is, well..."

Genbu threw his head back and started to cackle. It was an insane, chirruping guffaw that stretched on for an extended period of time without any need for oxygen; just like Iehik's mad laughter from before. Perhaps the Shisejyu had assimilated Iehog far more successfully than he had anticipated, even to the point of becoming more Iehik-like than he would have liked.

In any case, the ground below Genbu subsequently erupted into a ditch-sized crater as geysers of onrushing negative energy escaped through the cracks of his rocky skin, his volatile frame quickly turning into his own personal Vesuvius of sorts. "The bearded fucker inside my body wants to come out. Too bad there's no way out for either of us at this point."

As Botan balked at Genbu's unintentional euphemism, Kenshin asked, almost beseeched, "Why, Genbu-dono? Why are you doing this? Why are you risking life and limb to help me? Be reasonable; don't follow Iehik and Iehog's example! You don't have to do this. You don't have to kill Iehog in order for me not to..." but Genbu halted the spirit guardian's frantic appeals short with a firm rebuke.

"Don't be an idiot. I'm not doing this for you; it's just that, if I let go of Iehog now, this battle would be pointless," Genbu calmly but firmly rationalized before cracking up yet again at the nonplussed look on Kenshin's face... the redhead's expression was indeed priceless.

"Don't look at me like that. Haven't you figured things out yet? You humiliated me earlier on by holding back on your power, making me look like a complete idiot. Well, fuck that. This time around, I got to show you how good I really am. And here we are. I was able to put down a guy you didn't have the balls to beat, much less kill. Suck on that, samurai chump," Genbu justified, which was his own way of admitting, 'You fought and treated me like a real warrior before. You didn't have to, but you did. Because of that, I wanted to know if I can live up to your expectations and fight like the warrior you thought I was.' At least, that was how Kenshin interpreted the Shisejyu's words.

Whichever the case, the Stone Shisejyu laughed off his imminent suicide bombing as he braced himself for the inevitable. "Shit, come to think of it, this is a really retarded reason for me to die. Haha. But fuck it, I feel great."

"GENBU-DONO!" Kenshin shouted out, complete with outstretched hand and a hint of manly tears on his eyelids.

The greatest surprise for Kenshin was that nothing seemed to happen when Genbu finally fell down on his face and trembled with anticipation; there was no immediate big bang afterwards, much to his, if not disappointment, then certainly surprise. The bluish flare surrounding the Shisejyu's body went out in a second as he froze and hung on the spot like a large, immovable boulder. There was an almost oppressive silence, as if everything in the universe had chosen that exact moment to hold its breath and flinch away in expectation. Kenshin peered at Genbu, who looked up, sneered, and headbutted the ground, causing his skull to crackle and pop like the lit fuse of a pack of dynamite.

"Puu, Kenshin..." Botan whispered warningly, "I think we should be a lot further away from this..."

That, as far as any of them would be able to recall afterwards, had been when Armageddon happened. First, there appeared a sudden blast; a blast so overwhelming, it felt like the unspeakable horrors of Pandora's box itself had just been unleashed, opening forth the doors to hell and redefining the concepts of suffering and death anew. The darkness pulled in, and then reared back. Like a reversed explosion, it collapsed unto itself. It overflowed and released plumes of azure flame and continued the repetitive cycle over and over until there was absolutely nothing left of Genbu's body for him to regenerate from. No rocks, no pebbles, no miniscule dust particles; nothing but molecules and atoms. Even the jacked-up-with-jaki Earth Shisejyu could not reform himself after being atomized.

Luckily, the blast _only_ sent Puu and his passengers flying away in a swirling cloud of debris; the rest of their surroundings fared much worse. There was a vague impression of coldness, more coldness than probably even Yukina had ever felt before, and an expanding cloud of cold fire that didn't so much freeze the rocks as corrode them upon contact. Afterwards, the remaining trees and vegetation not within reach of the first world-shattering Kenshin-Genbu fight instantly turned into brittle spines as the storm chased at the trio's heels all the way back to the middle of the temple stairs.

Kenshin had time to throw his arms in front of his face and roll into a ball before hitting the stairway like a guided missile. In contrast, Botan had her eyes shut the whole time, but was still able to soften her landing by involuntarily summoning her flying oar at the last minute. Granted, the wooden paddle splintered apart like a matchbox upon impact, but at least she fared a lot better than the rest of her companions. Meanwhile, Puu tried to roll with the brunt of the collision, and wound up skidding halfway down the rest of the steps before he came to a stop against the foot of the flight of stairs.

Kenshin slowly pulled himself out of the small trench he'd inadvertently dug with his back and threw his disheveled hair over his shoulder with a flick of his wrist, retying it with a tattered piece of his own clothing. He had certainly felt better, but at least he was still alive. Sort of.

As per usual to his character, Kenshin checked on Botan and Puu's condition and welfare as soon as he could feel his legs again... first the ferry-girl, then the spirit beast. Thankfully, Botan didn't suffer as much injury as Kenshin did thanks to her ability to fly, but Puu, despite having the very same aerodynamic skill, was regrettably the one most affected by the ensuing shockwave of the rumbling detonation, his tremendous size and awkward shape hindering his flight control somewhat.

The pair of celestial entities had to combine their efforts... with Kenshin pushing from below and a flying Botan pulling from above... in order to help Puu up from his awkward fall. Once the spirit beast was right-side up again, the shinigami began to ameliorate the gigantic bird with her healing powers, figuring that by rejuvenating Yusuke's other self, she should be able to help Yusuke himself recover too, even though her ki-flow was but a mere trickle at that point.

Kenshin looked back the way that they had come, and widened his eyes in astonishment. The nimbus clouds produced by Iehog's portentous use of the God of Dragons had parted, literally split right down the middle all the way from either side of the endless horizon. Botan then yelped after the Youtou Shinnoken's guardian as he hurriedly limped back to the site of the blast, but once he reached ground zero, all he could see was the tragic world of rubble, smoke, and broken dreams surrounding him, his repulsion growing upon every step.

Any feelings of exultation Kenshin might have felt from Botan and Puu surviving the explosion immediately died in his chest as the ramifications of Genbu's sacrifice struck him hard on the face with full force. He offered a moment of silence to both the Earth Shisejyu and the relentless human-turned-demon he took with him, as well as to the devious but ambitious Iehik who died earlier. For good or for ill, they all managed to live the lives they wanted, doing great justice to their "second chances" in their own unique ways.

* * *

From a distance, smoking through a whole pack of regular, unfiltered cigarettes, Goro Fujita grimly observed the explosive conclusion to Kenshin's battle from the top of the highest tree he could find. The chilly mountain breeze swayed his thin, antennae-like hair bangs dramatically and, occasionally, killed the light of his cigarette as well... cigarettes that, in his opinion, had become stronger and tasted more bitter than the cigarettes he used to smoke back in day, which was the way he liked it.

'Finally, that redheaded bastard found a way to beat small fry... have someone else do it for him. It's about time, too. Honestly, the fool spends far too much time and effort in observing his precious code, when it's actually his hesitation that does him in more often than not. He should be more damn decisive. Anyhow, the show's finally over. Time to go.'

Fujita jumped straight down from his precarious perch, landing on his feet like some sort of mountain wolf, but then winced and favored his left side as he straightened up. It had just been a couple of hits... hits from a hundred, even a thousand, missed strikes... care of Kenshin's faux Battousai self who _still_ held back despite the policeman's urgings, but they were painful hits nonetheless.

His nicks and cuts were _supposed_ to be but mere grazes, but the sheer force behind these shallow wounds were able to incur hairline fractures on some of his ribs and make him regurgitate blood from time to time. The tactic of bludgeoning a man with a sword instead of cutting him up must have been a relic of the redhead's stint as a wandering rurouni with a reverse-edged blade.

Fujita's eyes turned into sharp slits as he tried to take his spent cigarette out of his mouth with his sword hand, but its tendons were still a bit sore after countering Kenshin's desperation technique, the Kaiten Battoujutsu, with the Gatotsu Zeroshiki; for the moment, he probably would have trouble picking up a mere toothpick. Perhaps stubbornly keeping his grip on his weapon when his opponent was wise enough to let go of his wasn't the smartest of moves.

Fujita had needled Kenshin on and on in regards to how weak and pathetic he supposedly was compared to his Hitokiri Battousai self of one hundred and twenty-five years past, or even the weaker rurouni who had flashes of brilliance now and again when provoked, but that wasn't quite the whole picture now, was it? Kenshin kept on holding back because he could _afford_ to hold back and still survive, the overpowered and capricious moron.

Besides, Fujita had heard that the human Battousai's might was nothing compared to the peerless power of the otherworldly Youkiri Battousai. Up to what level of ability had Fujita managed to draw out of Kenshin? Higher A-Class? Lower S-Class? Perhaps it was Hajime Saito's so-called 'reincarnation' who was lacking of enough skill to make the Battousai serious enough to let loose his true and current power.

Nonsense. Of course he could beat him; and, once the Battousai revealed his full capabilities, Fujita would be able to surpass them himself in a far more interesting match. Regrettably, as is, Kenshin Himura was less than a shadow of his former self. What a waste of potential. To obsess with every detail, nuance, and consequence of killing was an exercise in futility, the officer believed.

"Your effort to remain what you are is what limits you, Battousai," Fujita assessed out loud before spitting out the cigarette in his mouth, crushing it with his heel, and walking away in apparent disgust and concealed pain.

* * *

'Chojin-sama is not going to be pleased with these latest developments,' the ragged-cloaked Onmyouji that gave Rando and the demonic Hiruma brothers their powers and second... in the case of the siblings, probably third... chances before they blew it anyway intoned to himself.

The Overfiend had given him a relatively simple task: help Rando and his minions corrupt or destroy the Demon Sword and kill anyone that got in the way. Everyone working for the Chojin knew that the Youtou Shinnoken was the greatest threat to the establishment of their dark kingdom, and it only made sense to, if not destroy it, then use it to their advantage, helping the Chojin make his great push to consolidate the lands of the Human World, Spirit World, and Demon World together beneath his fierce, velvet-gloved rule.

The Great Gunther-Konig of the Nether World, Yakumo, had been stupid enough to place his faith in the Meikai Crystal and allow his enemies to run about freely and spoil all his plans. The Chojin had faith only in himself and the untapped negative power found in mankind's collective misery and suffering, and he had no intention of wasting that precious energy trying anything until he could be sure that no annoying little Spirit Detectives with stupid hair and effeminate features would show up, get beaten repeatedly, and then gain the unstoppable resolve to ruin his plans. He knew about Koenma's little errand boys, of course; lots of soldiers from his undead army knew about them. About half of them were destroyed by these free agents of chaos, in fact.

'There go our chances at nipping the problem in the bud before things get really sticky. Those stupid _idiots_! To think, they were so close in beating those Reikai Tantei and tainting the Demon Sword with demon blood! Honestly, was provoking the Battousai into killing them so hard? He wasn't called both a manslayer and a demon-slayer for nothing!'

Unseen, the Onmyouji moved away from his shadowy hiding place in the forest, moving especially fast as the powerful presence of Hajime Saito incidentally passed him nearby. 'They're failures; each and every one of them! Rando should have known better, being one of the Shinju, but he has failed as well! What a complete waste of jaki! I ought to resurrect those failures just to kill them in an even more humiliating manner!'

'Is that so?' a voice gently rasped inside the Onmyouji's mind, sending shivers up his nonexistent ethereal spine. 'O-Oh, did you see all that, Chojin-sama?' he stuttered sheepishly, then cleared his voice and stated with a bit more conviction, "I am ashamed and apologetic for Rando and the three Shisejyu's failures. I have no excuses. I'll take the blame for their losses! Punish me in any way you see fit!'

The Onmyouji's functional bond with the Chojin... just like Kenshin's bond with Yusuke via the Demon Sword or Yusuke's bond with Puu via that spirit beast egg Koenma gave him... allowed the Chojin free access to the Onmyouji's senses as if they were his own, which made the faceless minion the perfect spy as well as conduit for his overflowing jaki... the ki representation of the concepts of sin and malice themselves.

'You've looked better,' the Chojin noted. 'Does your work overwhelm you so?'

'My fervor to you, master, overwhelms me,' the Onmyouji wheezed, still recovering from the earlier shock of the Chojin listening in on him at such short notice. 'This body is but a transitory one, oh great leader to those who are willing to serve. I shall miss its quirks but a little when my final change comes upon me.'

The Chojin addressed his Onmyouji servant by his real name... his original name, before he became more grim-reaper-like than the creepiest of the Spirit World shinigami... in a svelte tone, crowing in a reassuring manner, 'Don't be so hasty. Experiments tend to yield unexpected results from time to time, especially thought experiments such as this. Theories are bound to turn out wrong and obsolete or proven correct and timeless as the pursuit of truth and knowledge progresses. The only thing that would make this defeat pointless is to not heed the lessons we've learned from it. As is, we've found out quite a lot about our enemies through this, shall we say, _strategic defeat_.'

The Onmyouji's featureless cloak would have registered nonplussed bemusement had it had a face attached to it. 'Strategic defeat, my liege? Incidentally, what _have_ we gotten from this defeat? We barely scratched the limits of both Urameshi Yusuke and Himura Kenshin's true powers, the Reikai is proving to be a formidable opponent with the way it has monitored and anticipated our actions thus far, and a new rival in the form of the ghost or whatever of Saito Hajime had come back from the grave to haunt us! If things get any worse for our group, we might as well be at the mercy of the likes of Oda Nobunaga, Tokugawa Ieyasu, Commodore Perry, and Abraham Lincoln while we're at it! Or, worst-case scenario, the entire Shinsengumi faction might revive itself from the ashes of history! Oh, may the gods have mercy on our already damned souls if that ever happens!'

What the undead Onmyouji seemed to have no way of understanding was that things needed to be done in a certain order... that heroes could be confused and manipulated into leaving things alone until you were _ready_ to crush them. True, it was stupid to try and not succeed, and that there was no excuse for pointless failure. The Chojin himself had failed once and swore never again to suffer that humiliation. That weakness would never again grip him, and he had no patience when he saw it in others who should know better. Then again, he'd sacrificed pawns for the sake of the big picture before, since that was basically the function of the weak, after all. The loss they suffered today was more of a stepping stone than a detriment, all things considered.

The Chojin, the Adversary, Destroyer of Kings, Great Beast that was called the Ashen Phoenix, Prince of this World, Father of Lies, the Living Sin, the Equalizer, and Lord of Darkness could kill Koenma's band of Spirit Detectives with his own hands if necessary. But to do so would be to reveal his presence to them, and expose himself to retribution.

Far better to hide behind his lieutenants and intermediaries until victory was all but assured, where nobody could get to him as he went about reshaping the three worlds into his own image. He couldn't be stopped if they didn't know anything more about him than his name. That had been Yakumo's great failing; the proud yet shallow Warrior King of Meikai... the world that used to function as the Reikai of the Makai... had been so obsessed with causing a scene and casting his shadow across the Human World's realm _twice over_ that Enma Daio would have needed to be blind not to know who his enemy was.

The Spirit Detectives had always been on the Chojin's hit list, especially since the Class-S Sei Kou Ki Master, Shinobu Sensui, joined their ranks. At the very least, the Overlord had always intended to reduce the ragtag group of humans, demonic human-sympathizers, and hybrids of both into Reikai Tantei paste well before he made his little gambits and funded the Black Black Club, reestablished the Dark Tournament, and helped in the creation of the Black Chapter tape... the latter of which had the unexpected benefit of inducing the aforesaid Sensui's serendipitous descent into madness.

Sensui's fall from grace fascinated the Chojin to no end. The amount of delicious damage and chaos that the potentially strongest pure human who'd ever lived created in his ten-year campaign to ethnically cleanse the world of all humans was far beyond anything the Overfiend imagined, much less expected, and for that reason, he wasn't especially upset with the Reikai's so-called victory today. He'd learned long ago that even opponents could function as his pawns, and up until the time he unveiled his trump card or was on the verge of inevitable success, the game was on. He simply needed to setup as many hidden traps and gambits as possible to the point that even flukes and probability was on his side.

In chess, a situation in which one player lost a minor piece... i.e., a bishop or pawn... but captured the opponent's rook was crucial in victory. The side that won the rook was said to have won the exchange, while the other player would lose the exchange, since the rook was usually more valuable. The opposing captures often happened on consecutive moves, though this wasn't strictly necessary. It was generally detrimental to lose the exchange, although occasionally, one might find reason to purposely do so, resulting in an exchange sacrifice.

As far as the Chojin was concerned, he was the one who fared better in this little "exchange" of sorts, with the price of pawns far less considerable than the knights, rooks, and bishops he'd routed in the process, especially considering the scope and frightening growth rate of his limitless zombie army. If Koenma's best of the best could barely handle the Chojin's worst, then it was still the latter who was on top. Without Enma Daio's mercenary and totalitarian tactics, the Koenma-Daio-ruled Reikai was ripe for the picking; it was like playing chess with a novice player, even.

'There's no need to panic. Everything is going according to plan,' the Overfiend reassured the Onmyouji. He would've rather left it at that, with a trite phrase that did less to comfort than frustrate, but on a whim, he decided to humor his loyal yet panicky general's fears and trepidations by offering a glimpse into the methods to his madness.

'Raizen's descendant has proven his desperation when it comes to protecting that human girl, becoming so reckless and unthinking that he could be manipulated in any number of ways. That's the reason why I suggested for Rando to use his Kugai technique on the boy, and Seiryu to use the human girl to increase his jaki output. I reckoned something very interesting might come out of that experiment, and I was right... it proved that the hanyou has no control over his full power, which means that there's a possibility for his own strength to overcome him in the end. Besides which, we've also taken away something important from him this day; he himself would hardly call this battle a win, not by any stretch of his imagination.

'The Spirit Wave Master is worthless without her Spirit Wave Light Gem; she could barely handle the power of B-Class demons, so she's as much of a non-factor as that C-Class human with the A-Class Technique. As for the 'Legendary' Battousai, the Hiruma brothers and Genbu had proven him unwilling, even incapable, of killing, thus making him less of a threat than I'd anticipated; he could never defeat our growing army with that sort of attitude. As such, the full assessment of Himura's abilities is pending for the time being.

'Finally, the dark horse of the ensemble... Saito Hajime, Fujita Goro, or however else he wants to be called... has his own selfish agenda to take care of. Regardless of whichever side he chooses in the end, he'll still be of great use to us. The seeds of doubt and mistrust can be spread in the middle of these independent factions before they could get a chance to merge. Remember what happened to Serizawa Kamo's separatist Shinsengumi unit, the Roshigumi? They caused more harm than good, forcing the Kondo Isami sect to put them all down, cutting the Shinsengumi's manpower by half. So think of the Miburo's appearance as more of an opportunity than a threat. Have I missed anything?'

Embarrassingly enough, the previously sinister Onmyouji that sneered and stared down at the Battousai was now sycophantically applauding... as in clapping and hooting in his lonesome... at the Chojin's complete and perfect analysis of the situation. The sight of a raggedy-clothed, hunchbacked, and miserable soul reaper acting as cheerleader sans pompoms to the Overfiend's schemes was hard to put to words. "As expected of the Dark Lord, you really had planned everything from the start! Your steel-trap mind is only rivaled by your own raw power! As you've promised me more than a century ago, I'll certainly be the first to..."

'Silence; you're blathering already. Also, stop your clapping, or else you'll lose some of those fingers,' The Chojin indifferently admonished his excitable right-hand man once more, but the Onmyouji could imagine, almost feel through their bond, the ghost of a self-satisfied smirk in the corners of the Dark Lord's mouth. Whether that was true or he was misinterpreting the Chojin's contempt for appreciation was up in the the air.

'You know as well as I that I would sacrifice all my fingers for you if I have to... but you're right, sir. We need to get our priorities straight.' Curbing his enthusiasm, the Onmyouji genuflected on his tattered robes and asked, 'What is your current bidding, my liege? The remaining Shinju are on standby, ready to follow your every command to the letter.'

'The plan has not changed. Mobilize Udou Jine and Suzaku, give them free reign to do as they wish, watch out for any signs of betrayal on their part, and remain in the shadows for the time being. I've heard their plans... the ones they were willing to show me and the ones they'd kept to themselves... and I believe they're the logical choice in exploiting the assortment of weaknesses that our enemies have presented today.' Curiously enough, the Chojin's orders sounded more like advice than "commands to be obeyed to the letter".

'But master, those two are...!' the Onmyouji began, intending to meekly point out what the mad Jine did to Suzaku's familiar, the annoying demon bird named Murgle... Murugu... Morgue... whatever her name was.

'Yes, I know. But their conflicts of interests are to our benefit as well. If they could manage to pull either of their plans off, we should soon witness what the Hiruma brothers weren't able to achieve; the awakening of the true powers of the Demon Sword.'

The Onmyouji felt the Chojin's frightening presence in his mind's eye and nearly fainted at the sheer awesomeness of his vision: that of a lithe, six-foot-high Warlord suited in the full regalia of the cursed samurai armor... worn once upon a time by Oda Nobunaga himself... and the bloodthirsty swords, the fiery Mugen Jin and the surgically sharp Kien... re-forged from their temporal, material selves in the pits of, as Botan would say, Level 17 Block 8 of the Corporeal Punishments Sector, turning them into transient weapons of genocide.

'Oh, and a few more other things,' the Chojin casually remarked after recovering from his momentary loss of self-control. 'In regards to your report that the Spirit World is rallying their own forces, even up to the point of following our lead and resurrecting warriors from the past and defying their own laws of life and death, I'll let you handle that case. Make them suffer from their own folly. With the performance Saito just shown today, they might even double their efforts. Take advantage of that fact with impunity.'

'It's already taken care of, my lord,' the Onmyouji assured. 'In light of the Reikai's apparent unwillingness to murder humans compared to their gleeful execution of demons, I've asked Gouki to gather our human recruits Getsuno Kibano, Burashi Musashi, and Fuwan Kazemaru to search high and low in Mushiyori City for these resurrected souls. I'll just tell them that they can test their strength and prove their worth to us by finding people effused with the same spirit signature as shinigami.'

'Good. Also, keep tabs on Xinhai's activities in Tokyo as well. Based on his impressive performance in gathering jaki so far, he'll sooner or later have to deal with one of Koenma's would-be lackeys.' The Evil Overlord smirked. 'Judging from what era these warriors are coming from, I'm guessing the Reikai had figured out a few things about our operation. Good for them. Nonetheless, although they may think they're on to us, they couldn't be further from the truth.'

'Your every wish is my command, my master.' The Onmyouji rose, bowed to seemingly no one in particular, and faded into smoke and ash a second later.

* * *

Kenshin, Botan, and Puu sat still on the non-wrecked portion of the temple stairs for a long, long time as they quietly contemplated that early morn's shocking events, waiting patiently for the dust of Genbu's kamikaze attack on Iehog to finally settle down. Quite a lot had happened that day... the hours they spent fighting Rando and three of the Shisejyu seemed like months, even years, of grueling combat and trauma that they would remember for a lifetime.

First off, there was the initial part of the Shisejyu invasion, where Rando and company were able to separate Botan, Yusuke, Keiko, and Genkai from each other, pairing them off with their designated demon zombie and manipulating the odds to the youkai's favor by the use of subterfuge, manipulation, and deceit. Alas, with the appearance of a mysterious policeman who apparently came straight out of the pages of Japanese history, Goro Fujita ruined that very plan and helped halve the demons' forces in one fight, forcing the surviving demons to concentrate on fighting their selected quarries.

Nevertheless, certain minute, out-of-sight happenings in between those two major events held far more sway and significance to Botan's eyes, particularly the ones involving Keiko's coma and near-death experience in the hands of Seiryu, the cowardly act hidden away from Yusuke's eyes and revealed to him exactly when it was too late for him to stop it.

Because the Chojin and his minions had changed the Rules of Engagement in Spiritual Warfare to suit their own needs... reviving demons that were long dead to beat the Spirit World at its own game of perpetuating the cycle of life and death... Botan decided that it was high time she herself bended the rules as well. Thusly, as Iehik and Iehog took her hostage, she multitasked and astral projected herself into the Spirit World, scouring for Keiko's lost soul before Yusuke's sort-of-girlfriend became a husk of her former self.

The ferry-girl afterwards remembered eating the Fruit of the Tree of Knowledge in order to coax the amnesiac Keiko... long story... to do the same. Soon after, she felt her mind react weirdly to the forbidden fruit. It was strange; it had felt as though the fruit had somehow broken through a blocked memory in the surface of her psyche, but her mind wasn't willing to acknowledge its presence, much less access its dark secrets.

Botan, who was once upon a time a lost ghost just like Keiko, also went into the misty middle fork of the Sanzu no Kawa and cleansed her sordid memories clean of all her past mistakes, of all her sins, of all her pain, and of all the stupid things she had done out of misery, fear, confusion, and loneliness, drowning it all into oblivion by means of the delectable, hallucinogenic lotus blossoms of the Elysian Fields. It wasn't her proudest moment, she knew, but she felt it had to be done at the time.

Attempting to reach the memory was a little like trying to stare into the sun itself; her body's automatic reaction was to wince and balk, so the more she forced yourself to stare, the more her body would react adversely to the stimuli as a source of pain. Her mind had ultimately deemed that she simply wasn't supposed to view the hidden memory at the risk of, she guessed, her mental and emotional health.

The brief time when she finally did recall her past, it affected her so badly that her mind automatically blocked it again sans the help of the Elysian Field's spiritual hallucinogens. She couldn't remember it now, but she could still recall the feeling of remembering her repressed trauma; even a shinigami's fearless attitude towards death buckled under the aura of horror that it generated.

So many years; so many forgotten memories; the faces of people she had known, now lost in the past. Places she had been, things she had done, enemies and friends, familiar faces and unfamiliar ones, colleagues and loved ones... all gone now. Then again, she was somehow able to view certain memories that weren't hers; memories of another soul that was living inside her mind all thanks to the Fruit of the Tree of Knowledge's mysterious side effects.

'Kamiya Kaoru; who is she, exactly? What's she doing in my head? Was she a soul whom I helped ferry across the River Styx before?' Botan wondered as her head became dizzy with the sheer wealth of facts and details it just evaluated, to the point of literally undergoing information overload.

The ferry-girl didn't even bother recalling the last half of Kenshin's long chain of fights against the ambivalent Goro Fujita and the not-so-ambivalent Hiruma brothers, lest she risked breaking her mind. 'Wait a second. If the Forbidden Fruit is supposed to be a cure for forgetfulness, then the Kaoru in my mind is...!'

Kenshin was the first one to break the ice, interrupting Botan's thoughts. "I should've finished them off. I shouldn't have denied my enemies the courtesy of dying by my sword. As is, it seems like my unwillingness to kill them has forced them to kill each other for the sake of my own convenience."

To his spiral-eyed surprise... even though he should have known better by now... Botan delivered her opinion on the matter in the form of a well-placed paddle whack upside his head. "Oh, stop moping, you redheaded baby," the ferry-girl chided before waxing pensive and adding, "Take it from someone who deals with the deaths of millions on a regular basis; You can't make yourself responsible for the decisions of others. You can only be responsible for your own actions and how it affects other people's lives.

"That is, unless you're one of those schemers that try to manipulate everyone's lives for his own amusement... there's a special place for those people. I'd tell you where, but the only place I've really memorized from the Book of Fate is Level 17 Block 8 of the Corporeal Punishments Sector. The rest of the levels, I need a map to get to."

Chuckling a bit at Botan's antics, Kenshin inquired, "And Level 17 Block 8 of the Corporeal Punishments Sector is...?"

"Duh. Fire and brimstone. Um, it's easy to remember because of their wonderful hot springs there. The fire and death, I don't like so much."

"...I see." Kenshin nodded, then jokingly wrapped his arms around himself as he 'shivered' at the 'coldness' and 'cheesiness' of Botan's lame quip.

With a swing of the oar that Kenshin deftly avoided this time around, Botan protested, "I wasn't joking! Stop acting like I just made a lame joke, darn it!"

Once their short bout of horseplay was over, Botan and Kenshin were once again left to their thoughts, the pensive silence beforehand reasserting itself.

"Do you think it's a joke?" came Kenshin's second icebreaker.

"Huh? Didn't I say I wasn't joking?" Botan answered warningly.

"No, not that. I meant my vow to not kill any of my enemies, even if they're demons. Do you think that's a joke? Granted, I can and will break my vow if worse comes to worst, but it does occur to me how hypocritical I might look. Yusuke-dono seems to think so," Kenshin clarified wistfully.

Botan sighed as nostalgic feelings that wasn't her own filled her heart and mind. She wanted desperately to cut to the chase and ask Kenshin about the kenjutsu-practicing, pony-tailed girl inside her head, but she instead hemmed and hawed at the topic at hand, blurting out, "I-It depends. Why aren't you willing to kill? If you kill them, you'll become like them? You want to save the villain in order to become a bigger hero? You're waiting for your opponent's karmic death? Why? Humans I can understand, but demons, not so much. I get the feeling that you even _made_ Koenma give you that special stipulation to not kill demons."

Kenshin exhaled, closing his eyes shut. "Take it from someone who has lived for more than a century and still has a clear memory of both the distant and recent past. Sometimes, humans can even be worse than the demons they persecute. Demons have as much a right to live as humans. What measure is a non-human, even? No one species is irredeemably evil. I'm no saint, but I'd rather err on the side of caution than to indiscriminately kill anyone... human, demon, or otherwise... just because of some misguided sense of justice."

"I see." Botan mulled over Kenshin's words, feeling a bit uncomfortable over the melancholy mood that the redheaded spirit's pensiveness created. "You sound kind of like Sensui, in a sense. You still haven't answered my question, though. _Why_ don't you kill? If memory serves me correctly, 'hitokiri' means 'manslayer', and 'youkiri' means 'demon-slayer'. If you've killed before, then what is stopping you from killing now, especially if killing might actually help?"

"I want to atone for all the deaths I've caused, then and now. At first, I was just supposed to make up for the lives I've taken in my past life as a Ishin Shishi hitokiri, but in the end, instead of expiating my sins, I've somehow ended up drowning in them. The weight of a sword that steals lives, whether it kills humans or demons, will drag you down to hell. Don't ask me if killing is right or wrong; I have no right to answer that question. All I know is that, because I've killed, no matter how many hearts I've healed, my heart can never be healed."

Rolling her kimono sleeves into a bundle on her shoulder, Botan cocked a clenched fist back, screamed, "Okay, fine! You _really_ want to know what I think about your pacifism? PACIFIST FIST!" then punched Kenshin right on his cross-scarred cheek.

The wide-eyed swordsman's head shook like a bobble-head figure from the impact of Botan's powerful straight right, his metaphysical brain rattled by a very tangible force. From there, Kenshin gingerly grabbed his cheek and looked at Botan in confusion. With a barely intelligible mumble, he protested, "What was that for? And why would you connect a punch with pacifism? That makes no sense whatsoever!"

"Exactly. What's pacifism got to do with punching? And what does swords have to do with protecting lives? Absolutely nothing," Botan evenly reasoned, already anticipating Kenshin's predictable answer before she even threw her surprise punch. Too bad her forethought didn't extend to understanding the unfortunate implications of her riposte.

"So your point is that I'm not really a pacifist and that my non-killing vow really is a joke?" Kenshin queried while nursing his cheek with a bit of his own kenki, his forehead perspiring large, ethereal bullets of salty chagrin. "Thanks... I think."

"My point is to not think about it! Really, it's okay. The ends justify the... Wait. You're using swordsmanship for good, avoiding violence by being... Oh. You stop bullies by bullying them too... Hmmm. Responsible people are always so concerned about being good all the time that when they finally get a taste of being bad, they just can't get enough... I think," Botan attempted to elucidate, with questionable degrees of success. What was amazing was that she managed to make Kenshin's double-standard duality sound even worse than even _he_ had initially thought.

"I reckon it _is_ best not to think about it," Kenshin chuckled uncertainly, not sure how to respond to Botan's unthinking but thought-provoking points. "Couldn't you at least end your little moral lesson with something a bit more profound and less morally questionable, though? I feel like we're breaching tradition or something."

Botan blinked contemplatively at Kenshin as she shifted from her seat, her hands on her chin and her elbows on her legs. "Moral lesson, huh? Like what? 'Life is a lesson, you learn it when you're through.' Those sorts of sayings?"

Kenshin shrugged. "Oro? Yeah. I guess."

"If you want that, then get an inspirational message calendar," Botan retorted, which prompted Kenshin to rub his head in sheepish discomfort once more. But she then appended, "If you want to fight demons your way, fine! If Yusuke and the others want to fight demons their way, fine! There are consequences to both options, so we'll just have to wing it and stick to what we believe is right! At least, that's how I see it. To each his or her own." It was a message that really hit home for the redhead.

To Botan's confusion, Kenshin gave her a "thumbs up" sign and a congratulatory, "Thank you. That was a way better answer than before." Of course, he got another paddle whack to the head for his efforts. It was at that point that the ferry-girl realized her anger issues with Kenshin that rooted from his penchant for condescension. What was up with that? Did she need to go to a Reikai Therapist or something?

Come to think of it, she never remembered herself to be so violent before with Yusuke, Kuwabara, Hiei, or Kurama, so what was up with her repeated urge to beat Kenshin up? Repetitive violence played for laughs was more Keiko's shtick than Botan's, really. Did _Kaoru_ have something to do with it? 'HEY! Violent kendo-girl! Just get out of my head already!'

But even as the ferry-girl's mind went off into another tangent, her lips moved by themselves and mouthed, "Then there's your answer right there, Kenshin. You don't kill because you don't want to kill, and you know the full consequences of killing. Getting the opinion of another person, whether he agrees with you or not, will probably do little to change your own stance on killing. Have a bit more faith in yourself and your principles. That's the _ true_ answer to your question."

* * *

**To be Continued...**

_Next: S.K.Y.! Save Keiko Yukimura! _

R.I.P., Shisejyu Genbu. You're the one-shot character that never could, yet you somehow managed to become more important than you really are _because_ of Kenshin's direct influence on you after your long and protracted fight.

I'd say this is quite true in canon as well, in the sense that Kenshin was able to redeem Sanosuke, Soujiro, Aoshi, and even Senkaku (just in case you think that Kenshin only redeems _important_, bishonen characters :P) after merely beating the crap out of them.

Eat your heart out, Nanoha... Kenshin's the real deal when it comes to proving his love and friendship through superior firepower. Oh wait, my bad; that's Son Goku's original shtick. ^_^;

_Paalam!_  
**Abdiel**


	18. Chapter 17

**Youtou Shinnoken: Demon Sword**

A Yuyu Hakusho/Rurouni Kenshin fic  
by Chester Castañeda

Original concept by Chad Yang

I guess it's fair enough to warn you that, well, this is essentially a debate and philosophy chapter. It's TV Tropes inspired, even. You've been warned.

_Disclaimer: Yuyu Hakusho is the rightful property of Yoshihiro Togashi, Shueisha, Fuji TV and St. Pierrot. Rurouni Kenshin is the rightful property of Nobuhiro Watsuki and Sony. This disclaimer also covers all the other copyrighted material that are far too many to mention here. Don't sue me please, I'm very poor._

* * *

**Chapter 17: To Protect Loved Ones (Part 5)**

* * *

_Outside Genkai's dojo, the slightly worn and exhausted Kenshin and Botan continued to idly converse to each other as they did their best to get over their recent trauma._

Botan stared blankly at Kenshin as she covered her mouth, feeling as though she'd just inadvertently burped out an entire soliloquy or something. Not that it was a bad monologue or anything... in fact, she, or at least her subconscious self, had quite the point. Kenshin should stop being so unsure of himself.

The redhead was not a murderer, but a warrior of justice. The peaceful kind, in particular. Disciplined. Kind. Friendly. Good with children. Botan knew the type. Kenshin was the sort of pacifist who'd often try to solve his problems with words first, and swords a distant second, typically resorting to violence only as a last resort. However, when that happened, he'd mop the floor with anyone dumb enough to challenge him. But he would not kill anyone unless he had no other choice, as killing mostly went against everything that he stood for.

'Wait... What? Are you now putting words in my mouth, Kaoru? Who the heck are you in the first place? Why do I keep feeling an extreme guilt trip whenever the subject of, well, _you_ and _my_ past life comes up? Do you have something to do with any of that? ANSWER ME!' Botan mentally screamed at the top of her, well, mind. Yes, at the top of her mind.

"Before I forget, thank you again," Kenshin told the distracted Botan as he smilingly yet unwittingly invaded her personal space once more, putting the shinigami in an even more awkward position than the one they had hours earlier, when Botan had just escaped from Hiruma's trap. "You've already saved me twice this day; first from myself, then from Hiruma. I owe you more than my life... well, continued existence, anyway. How can I ever repay you?"

Forgetting Kaoru's antics in the meantime, Botan giggled a perfunctory yet self-satisfied "Ohohohoho!" before waving off Kenshin's praise and insisting, "Oh, stop. That was the least I can do after getting kidnapped... thrice. Besides, the way you're blowing things out of proportion, you make me sound like Shikoku Uchiko."

Kenshin raised an eyebrow at that. "Who's that? And why does her name sound like something a foreigner who had no idea how to speak Japanese would come up with?"

Botan's eyebrows furrowed, startling the Spirit Guardian as she worked herself up to a storm. "Oh, it's this annoying, foreign-looking shinigami trollop that dresses in black lace even during the time when Gothic still meant 'A Medieval Art Movement'... or so I've heard. I'm not that old."

Kenshin sweatdropped as Botan primly coughed and continued, "She has this annoying habit of going to the Human World in human guise and cheerfully warning a month in advance the people she's about to 'reap' that they're going to die! She even gets away with her behavior because she's an oh-so-perfect angel who has a Swiss-Army-Knife-load of powers and talents that she might as well join the Soul Society's Seireitei district!

"She has saved the day more often than not, doing things outside of her job's jurisdiction and getting praised for it! Can you imagine? She also picks up skills unusually fast and succeeds at almost everything she does, despite the fact that she has the unique charm of a root canal. The worst thing about her is that she wants total credit for everything good that happens and accepts no responsibility for anything bad that occurs. Stupid Miss Perfect Shinigami. Well, once I get back to my outpost in Reikai, I'll let her know the harsh reality of being..."

"Botan?"

Botan blinked, seemingly roused from a deep trance, then blearily looked at Kenshin as if she'd noticed his presence just now. "Uh, yeah?"

"You're blabbering," Kenshin bluntly observed.

Botan blushed. "Yeah, well, my point is, don't put my actions on a pedestal or anything. It's the least I can do after being such a load to you, your fight, and all. I mean, I was captured not once, not twice, but three times by those two youkai punks who used me as kidnapping bait to distract you from using your full power on them.

"I've forgotten that I could fly during critical times where it could have been most useful, acted carelessly in key moments of the fight, and screamed at you to stop just as you were about to finish the Hiruma brothers off, making your battle drag on needlessly. In fact, I shouldn't even be telling you off for being a hypocritical pacifist, since I'm the one partly responsible for keeping you from killing Iehog and Iehik."

Kenshin sweatdropped yet again. "I believe you must follow your own advice to me, then. It's better not to think about it." The Ghostly Guardian of the Demon Sword chortled effeminately at Botan's contrary nature. "You know, when you screamed at me to stop from killing Iehog and Iehik, you kind of reminded me of someone. Actually, you've been reminding me of someone special ever since you've welcomed me back to Tokyo, even."

Botan froze, the hairs at the back of her head stiffening as she smiled crookedly at Kenshin's pinpoint observation. "Oh really? I do? Did I remind you of someone special, then?" Her cheeks heated up. "An ex-girlfriend of yours, perhaps?"

"We've shared the most intimate of intimate relationships, deep in the darkness of the night and within the flames of passion that only the hearts of lovers know amongst themselves," Kenshin murmured to Botan with dreamy, half-lidded eyes.

The Kaoru inside Botan made the ferry-girl's heart skip a beat.

"Just kidding," came Kenshin's tongue-in-cheek reply, which prompted Botan to again repeat the running gag of hardwood-on-noggin hilarity. Repetition made the skit funny... if humor was meant to be repetitious. No, that wasn't a koan.

Honestly speaking, Botan didn't know whether she wanted to coddle the smartass melancholiac before her or whack him upside the head again with her oar for good measure. But by then, Kaoru's constant usurping of her mental and physical faculties on a whim was what bothered her the most. As such, she suddenly felt compelled to 'offhandedly' ask the redhead, "Or maybe I'm reminding you of some bossy and violent pony-tailed kendo tomboy who can't cook for the life of her and has a tendency to get kidnapped despite the fact that she's supposedly the adjutant master of her dojo and whatnot."

Kenshin raised an understandably suspicious eyebrow at Botan's long and loaded statement. "Hmmm. That's... strangely specific for a mere guess, Botan. It's bordering on character assassination, even. How'd you get all that information by yourself?"

Botan wanted to jibe, "Er, Reikai Gossip Circles?" at Kenshin, but her own dainty little hands abruptly wrapped themselves around her smooth, thin throat, keeping her from matching wits against the snarky redhead. From there, the bewildered Guardian of the Demon Sword proceeded to sweat in vexation thrice over as he witnessed the shinigami slowly choke herself out.

"Who's violent? Who's bossy? Who can't cook? Who always gets kidnapped? Who's the tomboy? Who, Botan, WHO?" the Kaoru in Botan's mind demanded in such a way that she ironically confirmed quite a few of Botan's accusations. All the raccoon-girl needed to do now was cook terribly and get kidnapped, and she'd be all set to eat an awfully large helping of her own crow pie.

"Oh, _put a sock in it_, KAMIYA KAORU! Oops," came Botan spit-take once she regained some semblance of control over her bodily functions. Warily, she looked over her shoulder and checked out Kenshin's response. The shocked expression on the redhead's face after hearing Kaoru's name wasn't unexpected; however, his frantic outburst afterwards was somewhat surprising, considering how reserved he usually was.

"Botan! Did you just say Kamiya Kaoru? How do you know about Kaoru-dono? Please, tell me! Were you her grim reaper when she finally died? How did she die? Did she die a happy death? Was she able to move on after I left her for the other world? I've got to know, Botan! I beg of you!"

Unbidden, Botan's hands started to travel towards Kenshin's cloth belt, the ferry-girl's movements controlled by an overeager and emotional Kaoru.

* * *

_Many hours later, inside Genkai's dojo, after Rando and the Hiruma brothers' eventual defeat..._

Yusuke awoke, not having any idea of how much time had passed, and found himself looking at a wooden ceiling that appeared to have turned into Swiss cheese by unknown forces. Something from the outside must have done a number on the training hall's roof to incur that much interior damage; light from the early morn danced through and across its surface, refracting into rainbow hues that shimmered on the cracked walls. He blinked. "What...?"

Yusuke subsequently scowled, his brow furrowing as his mind refused to yield up a particularly important memory. It was like having a word at the tip of his tongue, or song lyrics to a forgotten tune... in short, it was an overlooked reminiscence at the back of his mind. He may even be suffering from an episode of the Zeigarnik effect, wherein a current and immediate task of utmost importance would stick to his mind up until its eventual completion. Now that Kenshin and Botan were presumably out of immediate danger, he apparently had other things to prioritize. But what was it? What did he need to do next?

The half-demon struggled with his blurry mind, trying desperately to grasp the vague concept of urgency in his head. He was... what? Forgetting something important, something pressing; the memories and images were there, just at the edge of his consciousness, yet maddeningly out of reach. He knew that if he could only focus enough... concentrate over the pain and his own weakness... he would have it. He'd understand how he had come to be there, in that devastated room, staring up at the rafters of a pockmarked ceiling, incapacitated with agony.

How did he get there anyway? He remembered going to work today... at his ramen shop, he definitely remembered that... before he and Keiko went to see some sort of sappy chick movie, which he hated, and strolled to the city park for a picnic, which he kind of liked _if_ only Botan and that red-haired swordsman he'd just met hadn't gotten in the way. No, he was confusing things. He skipped work because the Spirit World offered him a job to retrieve a special sealed sword from some random cave in the outskirts of town.

He subsequently remembered the last thing that occurred to him as he slipped into unconsciousness. Rando had forced him to use up all his remaining spirit energy in their momentous fight, so to make up for his failure to keep his part of the bargain to Kenshin, he summoned... more like begged telepathically... Puu to somehow help the hapless spirit guardian and the captured Botan out. He still felt a bit worried about what happened later on, but once he confirmed the swordsman's strong, warm presence, he let out a breath of cathartic relief.

And then, a flicker of... something... a brief image of Kuwabara, Genkai, and a marionette-like Keiko flashed into his mind so quickly that...

"Keiko," he choked before he willed... _forced_... his beat-up and bruised body to stand. He felt his world collapse into oblivion, like glass exploding from inside him with a shriek of anguished torment. It erupted from every pore of his skin and every part of his body. Nothing mattered now except his painful remembrance.

Yusuke fought against the torturous yet hallow agony with all the drive and resolve he could muster as he hobbled towards the shut dojo doors. He needed to get to Keiko _now_, before it became too late for her. Or perhaps it was already too late, and it was only his denial that was pushing him forward.

No. Dammit. It was never too late. Time and time again, Yusuke and his friends found a way out of these tough situations, so it shouldn't be too late for Keiko. And even if it were, it wouldn't be for long. Not even death could stop Yusuke Urameshi from eventually prevailing, the Chojin's diabolical plots be damned. If he couldn't make use of his great power, luck, and influence over death to save his loved ones when it really counted, then what good were they?

* * *

The threat of remembering her forgotten memories continued to haunt Botan to this day. Fortunately, the faces of people she had known, the places she had been, the things she had done, and the rest of her memories of her past life were all gone now. Unfortunately, she kept seeing memories of another soul that was currently residing inside her mind care of the Fruit of the Tree of Knowledge's mysterious side effects.

A tight feeling of apprehension started building in Botan's chest as Kaoru took hold of the hilt of Kenshin's Youtou Shinnoken. 'K-K-Kaoru? What are you doing with Kenshin's sword? Stop touching it! Hands off!' That didn't quite sound right to the ferry-girl, but she didn't know what else to say.

'Let me touch it, Botan! Please! I need to touch the hilt of Kenshin's sword!' Kaoru begged, which didn't sound quite right either.

"Oro? B-B-Botan-d-dono? W-What are you doing? Ahhhh!" Kenshin panicked, not quite sure what to make of the girl who was fiddling with his obi and sword.

'I need to talk to Kenshin, Botan. The Demon Sword... that magical sword that the Spirit World trapped him in... reacts to whomsoever touches it in unique and random ways, doesn't it? Though it's a long shot, maybe if I, with your help, touch Kenshin's youtou, then I could somehow talk to Kenshin at long last,' Kaoru explained to Botan equably.

"Kenshin's youtou isn't a _microphone_ you can talk into, Kaoru! In fact, I'd rather it was as far away from my mouth as possible!" At that point, Botan realized that, regardless of her intentions, she went too far with her tasteless double entendres concerning Kenshin's sword. The look on the redhead's face after hearing what she just blurted out was beyond words, though.

'M-My...?' Kenshin muttered in his mind as his spirit brain got scrambled and fried into a Spirit Brains Benedict.

Taking quick advantage of Botan's shame-induced stupor, Kaoru declared, 'It's been a long, long century, Botan; I can't wait any longer. I have to talk to Kenshin _now_," as she reached forward, grabbed hold of the Youtou Shinnoken's hilt, and pulled it out of its sheath.

Kenshin was shocked by what happened next. He opened his mouth, but no sound came out. In his throat was a glurge of bittersweet sorrow and exultation that choked his voice out. He felt himself at a loss; everything was happening far too quickly for his perplexed brain to fully comprehend.

'But... but this isn't _possible_!' Kenshin reasoned to himself at length. After all these centuries, _she_ had finally found a way back into his life. Unbelievable. The spirit guardian felt like he was in some sort of fairy tale... a dream that he didn't want to wake up from as he looked closely at the transfigured Botan and gulped hard.

As Botan held onto the Youtou Shinnoken like a cane, embedding its tip onto the stony ground, a strange transformation happened to her. Her face didn't change, nor the color of her hair and eyes, nor the shape of her face, nor the shape and build of her body, but something about her was undeniably different: different yet familiar.

Her demeanor had changed. The way she was looking at Kenshin had also changed. The way she carried herself, the way she handled the Demon Sword so naturally, and the way her current stance reflected more of a martial arts background was also noticeable.

Most of all, the words "Botan" spoke next clinched it for Kenshin. "Don't look so surprised, Kenshin. We all come and go beneath heaven. Why can't our paths simply cross?"

"M-Megumi-dono?" Kenshin sputtered out uncertainly.

"MEGUMI-DONO? Megumi-dono _this_!" Okay, the next few words _after_ her first few words clinched it for Kenshin. From there, "Botan" proceeded to thrash the swordsman within an inch of his undead life, with the coup de grace of using his own weapon against him.

"ORO?" Kenshin oroed. Thankfully, the shinigami only used the flat and non-bladed portions of his weapon, but it was still a rather harrowing experience for the hapless Demon Sword Guardian. Because of the noise, Puu woke up, looked at the arguing couple, chirped a tired sigh, and slumbered some more. He wanted no part of their nonsense.

"Okay, I get it! It's Kaoru-dono, isn't it? The violence convinced me! I mean, I'm sorry I got it wrong the first time!" Kenshin yelped out after the possessed ferry-girl "forgot" to flip the sharp edge, the "mistake" nearly costing him an arm and a leg.

"Of course it's me! You should have known it was me from the very start!" the Kaoru inside Botan's body berated as she pointed the tip of the youtou at its original owner's throat threateningly.

Meanwhile, as Botan's dazed and confused consciousness drifted in a bottomless ocean somewhere below the surface of consciousness, the usurped personality couldn't help but repeat to herself, 'Kamiya Kaoru; who is she exactly? What's she doing in my head? Was she a soul I helped ferry across the River Styx before? More to the point, what's with that 'It's a Wonderful Life' flashback I had about Kenshin, Kaoru, and the Hiruma brothers? Those weren't even my memories in the first place! What the heck do I have to do with Kenshin and Kaoru? And how dare she use my body to talk to Kenshin without my say so! What a bitch!'

Perhaps it was the lack of a survival instinct after becoming a ghost that led Kenshin to compound the volatile situation by remarking, "What's with that weird greeting about crossing underneath heaven anyway? That's the thing that really threw me off on my first guess, Kaoru-dono."

"I wanted to be poetic and classy during our first meeting, Kenshin! Or is that wily kitsune-lady your only idea of a classy woman?" Kaoru griped as her... well, Botan's... eyes smarted, the sharp tears blurring her vision as she shook her head and scattered salty droplets all over herself. It would've made for a very dramatic scene had Kaoru not transformed Botan's irises into large, red tennis-ball-sized saltwater fountains as she pathetically bit on the sleeves of Botan's pink kimono.

"I see that you haven't really changed much after all these decades," Kenshin appraised as he looked at the girl in front of him in wonder, a flood of nostalgia and reminiscence drowning his senses. He wanted to say more, but he was again grasping for the right words.

Should Kenshin ask for her forgiveness? For leaving her hanging all those years ago? For failing to keep his promise to her to return to Tokyo safe and sound? For dying alongside Shishio after their respective final blows were struck? For depending on the heroes of tomorrow to finish the mission he wasn't able to complete at the time? For not being strong enough to protect both himself and his loved ones? He had so many things to say all at once that he couldn't even manage to follow up his, in hindsight, patronizing greeting.

Luckily, Kaoru alleviated Kenshin's burden by unceremoniously grabbing him in a tight and warm embrace. "...K-Kaoru-dono?"

It was at that point that Botan's hidden consciousness stirred. 'Wait a second. If the Forbidden Fruit is supposed to be a cure for forgetfulness, then the Kaoru in my mind must be...!'

'Yukishiro Tomoe,' Kaoru finally confessed to Botan, much to the ferry-girl's added befuddlement.

'...That's right, Yukishiro Tomoe! Wait, no. What?' bungled Botan as her train of thought was not only derailed, but had also caused a thirty-car pileup that completely muddled up her thinking process. 'Who the heck is Tomoe? I have enough trouble as is wrapping my brain around _your_ existence in my head, so throwing in another surprise personality is simply too much for my brain to handle! ARGH! You're confusing me again, Kaoru!'

'Some things are better left unknown, Botan,' Kaoru enigmatically answered as she held onto Kenshin's body tight, her eyes shimmering in both hesitant exultation and unacknowledged guilt.

At that point, Botan felt like she was back in that flashback scene with the Hiruma brothers, with her not at all having any impact to the outcome of the events happening before her eyes. She had become an unwilling spectator yet again... a voyeur to other people's private lives, in her own body to boot. 'Boy, this day sucks.'

In Kenshin's own perspective, small pinpoints of green firefly light danced around him and Kaoru-Botan, further convincing him of the displaced ghost's true identity. A thousand more questions popped up inside the former vagabond's mind: the very same questions he had told Botan earlier, plus several more concerning Kaoru's current situation.

What was Kaoru doing in Botan's body? What happened to their friends back in Tokyo? What happened to Sanosuke Sagara? Megumi Takani? Aoshi Shinimori? Yahiko Myojin? Misao Makimachi? Tsubame Sanjo? Sekihara Tae? The surviving Oniwabanshu? The surviving Juppon Gatana? How much of an impact had his death left to his loved ones? Perhaps he hadn't left that much of an impact at all? The whole situation felt so surreal to him that he didn't quite know what to make of it.

In any event, Kenshin elected to just stick to the first thing he was supposed to tell Kaoru or any of his friends back in Meiji Era Tokyo once he saw them again. "Kaoru-dono, I'm so glad to see you. I've missed you. There wasn't a day where I wasn't thinking about you. And I'm so, so sorry for breaking my promise to come back to you. I really am."

Kaoru held Kenshin at arm's length and gave him a shy, gentle smile... something that looked rather uncharacteristic on the normally 'bombastic' Botan's face.

'Who are you calling bombastic?' complained the ferry-girl.

If Kenshin had a thousand questions to ask Kaoru, then Kaoru had a million more things to say to Kenshin. She wanted to tell him the impact of his death to all their friends and foes back in Meiji Era Tokyo. She wanted him to know that his penultimate "unfinished business" had come back to haunt them. She wanted to divulge to him how they were able to handle that terrible circumstance and what sacrifices they'd made to survive.

Kaoru had suffered through a myriad of interconnected events that depressed and shamed her so badly that, once dead, she begged Koenma to send her to the pits of hell. Feeling sorry for her, the young god instead sent her straight to the Elysian Fields, where she was purified of her sins and purged of their horrible memory. From that point on, everything was a blur.

That was, until Botan came along and ruined it all by eating the Forbidden Fruit... the one thing that undid the effects of the Lotus Blossoms of the Elysian Fields. Of course, it still begged the question of how Kaoru's spirit somehow ended up in Botan's body, but the answer to that still lay buried within their shared subconscious, its trauma so great that one bite out of the Fruit of the Tree of Knowledge was not enough to fully unlock its secrets.

She wanted to bare her soul to Kenshin and more, but stopped herself short of doing so after seeing the look of concern and reprieve in the ex-rurouni's eyes. Who was she to destroy that expectant gaze with her own sullied fate? She had no right. So instead of confessing to what happened to her more than a century ago, she instead chose to reassure, "Don't worry, Kenshin. It's not your fault. What's past is past. There's no point in worrying about such things. What's important is the here and now."

'Yes, this is for the best. No need to add to Kenshin's worries,' Kaoru assured herself while Botan kept demanding, '_Hey_! Who's Yukishiro Tomoe? What the heck are you doing in my head? Why did the Forbidden Fruit work on you instead of me? Why are you so bossy? Aren't you supposed to be friendlier and more cheerful than this? Or was that flashback I got from you a lie? Answer me! Answer me, you freeloading ghost!'

Kenshin's eyes narrowed as he scowled at Kaoru's feeble attempts at hiding her emotions, but not in the usual "Hitoriki Battousai" deliberateness, but more of "Kenshin Himura" worry. His gut told him something was wrong, but he eventually opted to give his instinct no mind. Whatever it was that was bothering Kaoru, it could wait. He never even expected to see her again... and now she was there, right in front of him. Sort of. Kenshin was not a person to look a gift horse in the mouth.

"Kaoru-dono..." Kenshin trailed off before smiling and hailing, "Welcome back," in the same manner as she did in his dreams... his unfulfilled dreams of coming back to Tokyo with all his loved ones.

Botan blushed for Kaoru's sake, wanting urgently to not be anywhere near the couple during times of intimacy, feeling too awkward about watching this tearful reunion between the two past... unrequited lovers, she guessed. Besides which, in this world of memories, there was no need for strangers... which was what she was, she surmised.

Kaoru let go of Kenshin's shoulders, took his hand to hers and greeted back, "I'm home," before moving in and tilting her head on the redhead's chest.

To Kenshin's heart, Kaoru whispered at length, "If things were to change, do you think you could ever fall for me? Or fulfill a dream we wanted to come true? The world has already changed. Our world is long gone, erased from living memory. But I'm here now, awaiting my closure... and that closure is you, Kenshin."

"Hmmm? What was that, Kaoru-dono?"

Her lips curled up secretively as she nuzzled the ghostly swordsman's neck. "Nothing."

Kenshin murmured something back, and when it was Kaoru's turn to ask, he gave her the same answer.

Just then, from behind them, the dojo doors opened, and out flew a fettering but determined Yusuke, which startled the Kaoru-possessed Botan so badly that she dropped the sword that she was holding, thus ending Kaoru's control over Botan's body... which was such a shame, because had Kaoru insisted on knowing what Kenshin mumbled to her, she would've found out that he did hear her pensive wish, and that he was actually answering it back with his pledge of:

"Even though I was the Hitokiri Battousai, you kept me from leaving. You said you didn't care about my past, and that made me very happy. So now I'm giving you the same benefit of the doubt. I don't care about what you did after I died, Kaoru-dono. I'm just glad to finally see you again, after such a long time."

* * *

Back to the relative present, on the moon-like surface of what was left of Genkai's patio, Yusuke suddenly burst out of the broken-down training hall, his body trembling with fear and exhilaration. He was as spry as a youngster on a sugar rush, not at all minding his various collection of bodily injuries both mental and physical; whether it was the adrenaline or demon blood pumping in his veins that made it possible, he neither knew nor cared.

"Botan! Kenshin!" Yusuke called out after spotting his two other companions in the middle of the damaged temple stairs. "Thank the gods you're all right! Puu was able to make it and help you at your time of need, didn't he? He was able to save you from harm, right?"

"Yes, Yusuke. Puu was able to save our butts," Botan confirmed as she hastily wiped the tears that Kaoru cried using her sleeves and straightened herself up. Her mind's abrupt transition from being a mere voice in her own head to gaining voluntary control of her bodily functions was a bit disorienting to her.

"He did? Oh man, that's great! Good boy, Puu! Good boy! I owe you one, buddy," Yusuke cooed to the large blue bird as he patted him on the head. Puu, in turn, shrieked to his half-demon twin brother in kind.

Before either the freshly roused Kenshin or Botan could get an edge on the conversation word-wise, Yusuke was already demanding, "Botan, can you still fly? Is Puu too injured to fly as well? I need to get to Keiko right away!"

"Keiko-dono? So did something happen to her, Botan?" Kenshin asked the ferry-girl, his own worry and guilt growing after hearing Yusuke's plea. He knew he shouldn't feel responsible for whatever it was that befell the young Yukimura, but his own personal Messiah complex had always left him feeling partly responsible for any casualty that happened near or around him.

Botan nodded sadly. "Yes. I witnessed it myself, while Iehog and Iehik held me hostage. Seiryu put Keiko into some sort of trance, turning her into a living battery that provided him limitless negative energy power. If that weird policeman guy hadn't come to stop him, only Enma Daio knows how far gone Keiko would've been. Besides which, Seiryu would've ended up killing her, Kuwabara, Genkai, and Byakko had he gotten his way."

"Weird policeman guy...?" Kenshin repeated, then thought, 'Saito Hajime fought both Seiryu and me? Why? What's his game? Who's side is he on this time around? In this day and age where the Bakumatsu and the Meiji Restoration were nothing but chapters in a Japanese History Book, what would he achieve with fighting both me and the forces of the Chojin? What's his goal? What does he want to achieve?'

Meanwhile, in his desperation, Yusuke replied to Botan, "But Keiko isn't that far gone yet, isn't she?" Not even waiting for the blue-haired angel of death to respond, the young Urameshi requested, "Keiko told me that you helped her soul get back from the Spirit World to the Human World. Well, do you know where her body is? We need to get to her right now and find a way to get her soul back into that body!"

"Yusuke, it's not that simple," Botan broached the sensitive subject gently, not quite sure what to tell the despairing, do-or-die hanyou. She couldn't blame him for hoping against hope on behalf of Keiko's wellbeing despite it already being after the fact, what with his experiences as an earthbound ghost giving him the wrong message about the permanence and inevitability of death.

The Toguro Brothers escaped it. Genkai, because the plot, er, the Reikai demanded it, was also given a free, if temporary, pass. Kuwabara, Kurama, and Hiei almost died through various degrees, reasons, methods, and circumstances, but they'd managed to survive anyway. Hell, Sensui was able to live through a terminal disease for ten years by simply being a million times more powerful than the average terminally sick... or even completely healthy... human. Even now, the Chojin had found a way to defy death as well, reviving Yusuke and Kenshin's old enemies by use of the deadly yet all-purpose and versatile substance known as jaki. Most of all, Yusuke himself had escaped death time and time again. There was no way he'd believe Keiko's death was irreversible, given the broken life lessons his experiences gave him.

"It's a mistake, isn't it? Just like my very first death care of a car accident, right? It's just a miscalculation of fate that can be fixed by some sort of side quest, good deeds, and whatnot! She can still be saved! If Genkai can be revived with a snap of Koenma's fingers, then what more Keiko?" Yusuke asserted, his voice high-pitched and near-hysterical as he dementedly tried to convince himself that everything was going to be all right, his expectant smile hinting at the edge of madness.

"Er, not exactly," the shinigami hedged, her eyes darting all over the place. True, she had managed to pluck Keiko out of the Elysian Fields, but it was more because she wasn't supposed to be there in the first place; she was able to sneak in Reikai because Koenma was too busy researching about the Chojin. That, and because Keiko was the only one who could bring Yusuke out of the Kugai's trance. It certainly wasn't because Keiko could still be saved. But how could Botan tell Yusuke that awful truth?

To the sleek-haired, jacket-wearing Houdini of Death, for good or for ill, death was a mere inconvenience that didn't apply to him or any of his closest friends. Just how could Botan explain to Yusuke that, through the diabolical circumstances concocted by the Western devil known as Satan himself, this time around, Keiko couldn't be saved by loopholes, miracles, determination, hot-bloodedness, or hope?

However, in a more cynical viewpoint, the reason Yusuke and his friends had survived for so long was because Koenma was on their side... he was their personal backer who took care of the 'little' details. Once they'd outlived their usefulness, they'd have the same random chance of survivability as the rest of the human/demon race, give or take the factor that their enormous strength and special gifts might still extend their lifespan considerably.

"Botan," Kenshin called out, startling both Botan and Yusuke awake from their states of respective depression and denial.

"W-What is it, Kenshin?" Botan hesitantly queried.

"Tell us where Keiko is. I have no idea whether we're too late or not, but we can't give up without even trying. We just can't!" Kenshin determinedly stated, meaningfully gripping his Youtou Shinnoken tight.

"Kenshin," Yusuke mumbled before grinning and slamming his fist on his open palm. "That's more like it, wimpy! We're not licked yet! I didn't bust my ass fighting Hiei and Suzako just to see her die now! We'll find a way to save her or be pioneers and invent a new way of saving dead people! If the Chojin can do it, so can we!"

Botan looked at the two men as though they'd gone stark-raving mad. She wasn't quite sure what Kenshin's intentions were. Was it to teach Yusuke a lesson on the grim realities of life once his luck ran out, or did he truly believe that they could beat reason to a pulp and achieve the unachievable one more time, against all odds? Therefore, she hoped for the very best and expected the very worst; pragmatically speaking, that was all she could do.

Meanwhile, the Kaoru inside Botan's mind cheered her host and the two determined Spirit World Warriors on, figuratively gripping Botan's hand and encouragingly cheering, 'Kenshin believes that you all can get through this problem, and so do I. Have faith and take heart, Botan.'

After a short pause, Botan finally nodded in assent. "Okay. Let's go. Yusuke, go ride with Puu. Kenshin, you're coming with me. I'll show you both the way."

* * *

Genkai had just finished drying Keiko's clothes and re-clothing the poor comatose girl when Kenshin, Yusuke, Botan, and Puu finally arrived at the scene. 'Good. They've made it in one piece,' the old woman reflected in bittersweet relief as she gently rubbed the sleeping school girl's cold hands with her warm, wizened palms.

Even though Genkai could sense all their life forces even from that distance, she was still deathly afraid that they'd suffered a fate worse than death, with them missing several limbs, going blind, or even becoming completely paralyzed from the neck down.

All she knew a few minutes earlier was that they were alive; she wasn't sure if they were still in good condition. It was a morbid yet valid concern, especially considering the relentless drive that the Chojin's minions had. There was no place for honor, dumb luck, or mercy with any of those revived, single-minded zombies.

Kuwabara, on the other hand, was despondent to the arrival of the foursome, even as the wind from Puu's humongous flapping wings compelled the puffy strands of his course pompadour to move... which was understandable, considering that he was currently mourning the recently deceased.

"What took you so long? What, were you ballroom dancing with Rando or something?" was what Genkai wanted to say to Yusuke, spouting off one of her patented insult-greetings that relied a lot more on subtext than context. But she wasn't in the mood for such small talk; one look from her was enough to tell Yusuke everything he needed to know about the dire straits Keiko was in.

However, the old woman didn't like the glare of defiance in Yusuke's eyes for the simple fact that she knew it would do him no good. It was for that reason that she callously yet straightforwardly warned, "Don't even think about it, moron. It's far too late. Keiko didn't make it. She's already dead."

Without even missing a beat, Yusuke kept on walking forward, every last trace of his shambling gait earlier melting away as waves of pure energy started to run a frenetic course... more like a marathon... in his veins.

As usual, his anger and sheer stubbornness was the catalyst for him to unleash even more of his unadulterated power even after depleting most of it in his fight with Rando (not one of his better performances, especially considering that Rando only got up to the Toguro-Ototo-level of Class-B Plus while Yusuke was a powerhouse capable of achieving Class-A-to-S, but that was neither here nor there).

"Oh no. Don't give me that bullshit! Wasn't it far too late for _you_ when Toguro murdered you in cold blood? I seem to remember the Spirit World suddenly reviving you for... I don't know... good behavior? Or rather, they revived you in order to help us out with Sensui." Yusuke harrumphed as his martial arts master steadfastly stood in his way. "You and I both have no right to say that Keiko is a goner. We know better. There's still a way. There's _ always_ a way!"

"Yusuke..." Genkai muttered, but then her eyes flared with azure plasma as she quickly punched her stubborn, impetuous student right in the gonads. Yusuke didn't even flinch, though he was certainly sweating far more heavily than before.

"Are you a complete idiot? Just how arrogant can you be? Just because you've risen up a couple of times from the grave doesn't mean you have some god-given right to decide who lives and who dies! Koenma and I have done everything that we could to protect you kids from the realities of life... from reviving the dead Doctor Kamiya in order to stop you from becoming a human murderer, to making Kuwabara only 'pretend' to be dead for your sake... but you can't always rely on us to bail you out. Now stop acting like a spoiled brat and face facts!"

But Yusuke wasn't even listening to Genkai; he was already beside Keiko's body just as the old woman finished her long and involved monologue. A collective dripping of chagrined sweat was had by all. "So you really want to save Keiko, knowing full well that you may only be wasting your time?"

"Yes," Yusuke insolently hissed, blinking away the tears induced by Genkai's low blow as the pain of seeing Keiko's still and doll-like body stung his non-beating heart far more than physical pain ever could. He remembered a quote about brick walls and scaling them in the corner of his frenzied mind, but he felt that his own actions were enough to demonstrate his immovable resolve.

However, Genkai wanted Yusuke to realize that not all brick walls were there to test people... some brick walls were there because you weren't supposed to climb over them no matter how badly you wanted to. Sometimes giving up was the only answer; regrettably, it would probably take a heavier dose of reality to make Yusuke realize that painful truth.

"Fine. Do whatever you want," Genkai ultimately groused as she crossed her arms and sat down on the ground in petulant defiance. She knew Yusuke needed to learn this harsh life lesson the hard way, but on the other hand, she inwardly wished him the best of luck nonetheless.

Meanwhile, in the background, Botan and Kenshin hurriedly scampered beside the Spirit Wave Master, with Kenshin giving a cursory bow and greeting to the dazed and entranced Kuwabara.

"Hello, I'm Himura Kenshin."

"Er, yeah. Kuwabara Kazuma. Nice to meet you," Kuwabara listlessly acknowledged the friendly swordsman, thinking to himself, 'Did Kurama have an orange-haired cousin from the province or something? I could almost swear they have the same voice!'

Keiko's alive-but-not-quite state wedged her appearance firmly in the uncanny valley, which startled Yusuke. Then again, he'd never seen her look more hauntingly beautiful in his life... like a butterfly in a glass case or a marble statue created by one of the old masters. She certainly didn't look anything like the annoying busybody of a schoolgirl she usually was. Alas, for Yusuke, he'd rather have the annoying busybody of a schoolgirl than the creepy yet gorgeous mannequin before him.

As such, Yusuke lifted the prone Keiko's head up and started slapping the bejeezus... or perhaps bebuddha... out of the poor girl's face, which made the jaws of his companions drop to the ground in aghast incredulity; the impetuous Urameshi had that effect on everybody. He must have figured that whatever woke Keiko during her trance in the Ankoku Bujutsukai would be enough to wake her up now. Yes, he was an idiot.

"SUPINE KICK KOUGEKI!" Genkai shrieked as she did her special martial arts move that made pigs fly.

"KNICK-KNACK-PADDLE-WHACK!" Botan screamed as she did her special paddling move that silenced sarcastic swordsmen, giving it a 'cute' name right on the spot.

"Oro? Should I join in too?" Kenshin politely asked a boggling Kuwabara as he began to unsheathe the Youtou Shinnoken, to which Yusuke yelped, "Like _hell_, you are!"

Once calmer heads prevailed and everything was sorted out... with Yusuke gingerly walking off his latest collection of cuts and bruises... the half-demon swiftly turned towards Botan and asked her, "Where's Keiko's soul right now? Is there anything we can do to help her get back to her body?"

Botan was hoping Yusuke wouldn't ask that, but she knew that he needed to know the truth. "In limbo... that is, her soul is in the Dream World, right in between the Spirit World and the Human World." The blue-haired, pink-eyed girl sighed.

"Listen. It's important that Keiko severs all worldly connections as soon as possible, just so her soul can finally pass on without any trouble. Otherwise, she'll just be another earthbound spirit, trapped by the weight of her guilt and the strong feelings of denial from those who just couldn't accept her death. You have to let her go for her own sake, Yusuke, because you'll needlessly damn her to a life of misery and broken dreams if you don't."

"But she was able to help me get through Rando's Kugai, Botan! I owe her my life _again_, and I'm willing to offer this unkillable yet worthless life she just saved to bring her back!" Yusuke passionately argued, but Botan's steadfast stare told him far more effectively than words that mere moxie just wasn't going to cut it this time around.

Genkai stirred and froze at Yusuke's revelation. 'The Kugai? Rando knew that deadly technique? That damn bastard is far more dangerous than we initially gave him credit for! No wonder he was the leader of the Chojin's preliminary attack on us!' The wizened old woman scrutinized Yusuke's ki-flow, feeling something was amiss. 'He may look fine now, but empathy to suffering is just part of the Kugai's first symptoms. I better observe him and his health from now on.'

"...Let me try, Botan. Please. If I fail in bringing Keiko back, then I'll let go of her. I'll accept her death. It's just that... I don't want to have any regrets," came Yusuke's ultimatum to Botan as he grabbed hold of his chest, his dead heart throbbing in what he presumed as Kugai-induced pain.

Yes, he knew that he was still infected by Rando's damn Kugai spell, though its influence was far less insidious than before. As such, if Keiko truly was a goner, then the half-demon saw no sense in risking everyone else's safety by letting the World of Suffering take advantage of his grief and transform him into a mindless berserker demon with a taste for human flesh, just like Raizen. But he was willing to take that risk for Keiko's sake.

"Contrary to what you all believe, I do know when I'm licked. But please, _ please_ let me try to save Keiko anyway. You all know me, right? Well, not Kenshin, but most of you do. I can't possibly forgive myself if I don't even try to do something about Keiko's condition!" Yusuke beseeched to Botan and everyone else present.

Despite herself, the shinigami nodded to the half-demon's stipulations. If there was anyone who could really, truly defy the impossible, then it was Yusuke. She didn't know how, but she knew that he'd find a way, knowing him. Yet again, the rambunctious teenager demonstrated the effects of his unbendable enthusiasm on other people... giving them a glimmer of hope where there was no hope to be found. Of course, whether his talents was an asset or a liability this time around was yet to be seen.

"I've never seen you more pathetic in all my life, Urameshi. You make me sick," Kuwabara snidely remarked as he slung his arm over Yusuke's shoulders like some sort of drunken fool. "It can't be helped, then. I'll show how I saved your life back when you used your life energy up to defeat Suzako."

"...You will? How? Show me how!" Yusuke enthusiastically insisted, and Kuwabara readily complied, stating, "Hold your horses, son. Watch and learn," as the tendrils of his golden aura rose from the pores of his skin and enveloped Keiko's body.

Once Yusuke had a general idea of how to go about saving Keiko's hide, he followed Kuwabara's lead and turned his unacknowledged rival's shining aura into a shimmering, cool cerulean oasis of untapped power. They were both running on adrenalin. Emotion. Hope. Fear. Desperation. Guilt. Faith. Love.

Yusuke stood with his arms extended beside him, a bestial growl escaping his throat as he gave in, just this once, to the rumblings of the Kugai inside him. The rest of them could see his aura flaring to life: the Jyu Rei Jyou Ante; a bright pulse, like the heart of a blue sun. It became brighter and stronger with each moment that the half-demon concentrated. Even as Kenshin caught Kuwabara after he fainted from exhaustion, Yusuke kept on going.

"I am not going to give up on you, Keiko! NEVER!"

The others figured it out almost as soon as Yusuke did. First, Botan rushed to stand beside the impetuous young man, bringing forth her own brilliant light of shinigami reiatsu to life. Then Kenshin joined on Yusuke's other side, followed by Genkai and even Puu. Those that could hold hands held hands, their auras of kenki, youki, reiki, and whatever else kind of ki they possessed blending, merging, and surging the same way that Hiei, Kurama, Kuwabara, and Yusuke's powers combined through the Meikai Crystal's help, their hearts and emotions burning as one.

Soon, one by one, they all gave in and buckled down from the sheer exertion of giving away their life energies to Keiko... crumpled to their hands and knees, gasping for air, quaking with weakness... all except for Kenshin, Yusuke, and Puu, who reestablished their bond through Reikai magic and achieved perfect synchronization, which in turn unleashed unbelievable amounts of energy from the bottomless pits of their shared wealth of willpower and determination.

But nothing happened. Keiko's body remained as it was: completely still and as cold as death, unmoved by the fiery energies that surrounded it.

"Enough, Yusuke! Himura-san! Puu!" Genkai panted from her kneeling position on the ground, admonishing, "If you continue to do this, you'll only put yourselves at risk. Also, too much energy with no focal point will burn Keiko's body out. This method only works for people who are mostly dead, not completely dead."

Unwillingly, Kenshin, Yusuke, and Puu ceased their concerted efforts to revive Keiko, the three of them giving in to the unbearable weight of fatigue and failure. Puu wailed in mourning while Yusuke cursed under his breath and punched the ground in frustration, creating a person-sized crater underneath him. "Dammit, Keiko! Dammit! Was it all for nothing? Was our efforts all for nothing?"

"Not really. We're just starting," somebody beside Yusuke and Kenshin staunchly declared. It was Genkai. "I guess it's my turn now. Himura Kenshin-san, may I have your sword, please?" the Mistress of the Spirit Waves politely asked Kenshin as she carefully stood up on her wobbling feet, her shaking hands seemingly suffering from a bout of arthritis.

* * *

**To be Continued...**

_Next: Idealism versus reality._

**Keiko:** Yusuke, meet my cousin, Yukimura Seiichi-chan! A champion player at tennis!

**Seiichi:** Domo! ^_^

**Yusuke:** Wow, Keiko! Your cousin's a way hotter girl than you! ^.^

**Keiko:** -_-;

FYI: Before Mayo Suzukaze ever took the role of Kenshin in the Rurouni Kenshin TV anime, Megumi Ogata (Kurama's seiyu) provided the silly ol' rurouni's voice for the Rurouni Kenshin Drama CDs. I just wanted to let you all know. ^_^

If Youtou Shinnoken: Demon Sword was exhausting for you, the readers, to wade through (what with all the nuances both obvious and subtle in this fic), just imagine how 'fun' it was to write it! :P Lots of things have been added to the story that probably shouldn't have been added, but in the end, what's done is done, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Let's all just move on, shall we?

_Yosh!_  
**Abdiel**


	19. Chapter 18

_"The brick walls are not there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something. Because the brick walls are there to stop the people who don't want it badly enough."_

(Randy Pausch, "The Last Lecture")

* * *

**Youtou Shinnoken: Demon Sword**

A Yuyu Hakusho/Rurouni Kenshin fic  
by Chester Castañeda

Original concept by Chad Yang

So I bet you're wondering what has happened to Keiko Yukimura, eh? Well then, just read on to find out.

_Disclaimer: Yuyu Hakusho is the rightful property of Yoshihiro Togashi, Shueisha, Fuji TV and St. Pierrot. Rurouni Kenshin is the rightful property of Nobuhiro Watsuki and Sony. This disclaimer also covers all the other copyrighted material that are far too many to mention here. Don't sue me please, I'm very poor._

* * *

**Chapter 18: To Protect Loved Ones (Part 6)**

* * *

_Back to the relative present, on the snowy cliff where the comatose Keiko lay..._

"Granny! I thought you said that you can't...!" Yusuke protested halfheartedly, but his own desperate hopefulness and Genkai's assertion of "I know what I said. But I didn't say I won't help," silenced him just as soon as he mentioned the issue.

Nevertheless, Kenshin objected with, "Madam, the Demon Sword has different effects on different people. With Yusuke, it's our special bond and my appearance as a tangible entity. With certain demons, it increases their base power to a hundredfold or so. With Botan, it's... complicated. Depending on who touches the sword, the consequences can become beneficial, disastrous, or worthless to Keiko-dono's..."

But Genkai, following suit to Urameshi's precedent, had already taken Kenshin's sword before the swordsman even realized it, throwing caution to the wind this one time. Without so much as an "Oro?" of surprise, the ex-rurouni winked out of existence as the old woman held up the magic sword and started to charge up her dwindling energy using the most basic purpose of the Youtou Shinnoken... to increase the power of its user to unbelievable heights by any means necessary.

The power that the Demon Sword magnified inside Genkai felt like raw lightning in her veins. Her very bones trembled as if they were pulsing with light. She felt her body gradually change to its twenty-five-year-old peak, the brilliant flame of her reiki bursting through every muscle, every nerve, and every cell.

The Spirit Wave Master let out a howl somewhere between rapture and torment... it felt like she'd explode with her incredible power. She now had more power than she could ever hope to contain for any length of time without burning out, or perhaps exploding like a human bomb.

"She's going to do it! She must! There's no way we can let Keiko-chan just die! No way!" Kuwabara cheered hoarsely as he crawled forward military-style to get a better look at Genkai's gambit, rubbing his hands together in solemn prayer. He'd already given up most of his remaining strength in their earlier effort to revive the dead girl, so a prayer to the gods was all the help he could offer now.

"You... we... all of us... didn't waste our energies in vain. At least, I don't want it to be in vain. All we need is to focus these energies into Keiko's dead body. There's only one way I know how that can do just that: FIVE DAIKEN PURIFICATION!" Genkai announced as she willed the blade of the Demon Sword to turn into a crescent light and stabbed it straight into many different pressure points in Keiko's body.

To everyone's relief, Genkai's efforts to calm the raging ki-flow inside Keiko's body seemed to work; the schoolgirl's complexion eventually became rosier and livelier, and her chest starting to rise and fall in cadence with the pulse of the Demon Sword. On the other hand, to everyone's horror, Genkai herself started to age rapidly as she spent all her strength to save Keiko. And it wasn't even her normal de-aging process; she was going beyond her actual age of seventy-something, her body becoming more wrinkled and frail as mere seconds passed.

"Don't look so shocked, everyone. Yusuke's right; I shouldn't even be alive now. It was the Spirit World's capriciousness and need for help and guidance that brought me back from the grave. As such, I'm going to offer my life, this stolen youth, every last bit of my power, to Keiko-chan!"

"What... NO! Don't do this, Genkai-baasan!" Yusuke suddenly cried out, unsure of whether or not he should let the quickly aging martial artist give up her second chance in life in order to save another important person in his life.

"I told you not to act so spoiled, Yusuke!" Genkai reproved huskily as her age suddenly doubled, her body looking more like it was more than a century old rather than just about seventy years old. "For every action, there's an equal and opposite reaction. You cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. You want Keiko to live? Fine. But you have to pay a steep price for it."

Yusuke was about to put a stop to Genkai's reckless, suicidal plan when, out of the blue, Keiko's body itself reacted negatively to the blade of light embedded in its chest, pushing it and Genkai away before the old woman turned into dust and bones right then and there. The life energy was still inside the corpse, but it... or perhaps Keiko herself... seemed to say that, "I will not allow myself to be resurrected at the cost of another's life. It's immoral, and I will not stand for it!"

Botan wiped the tears she couldn't help but shed off of her eyes. Was there really no way to save Keiko Yukimura at that point? Couldn't the ferry-girl give a good word to Koenma to somehow spare a person who, in the Spirit World's eyes, was nothing more than collateral damage? A victim of circumstance? This was so unfair. Keiko was just visiting Genkai after her date with Yusuke; she had nothing to do with this sudden attack from the Chojin's forces! She'd survived countless encounters with demons before, so why did she have to die now?

But just as the shinigami entertained thoughts of using Spirit World bureaucracy to help her friend out, a voice inside her mind that wasn't Kaoru reminded, 'This is how death truly works. Out of every Yusuke, Genkai, Toguro, and Sensui, there are thousands more who die for the most pitiful of reasons. No amount of determination, magic, life force manipulation, or willpower could ever save them, and now Keiko is among their number. You of all people should know that truth, right?'

With a defeated sigh, Botan summoned her flying oar and wordlessly prepared to make her trip down the limbo of the Dream World, intending to finally accomplish her foremost duty as a shinigami of the Reikai. "That's enough, Yusuke. You've... had your chance."

"No... NO! I can't... I won't... Please. Dammit, please."

"Yusuke..."

Yusuke perked up, thinking he'd heard Keiko say his name, a vision of her with shimmering eyes and a lonely face haunting his subconscious. He must be going crazy. "I'm so sorry, Yusuke." There it was again.

"No. Don't be. It's not your fault that you died. I don't want to give up, but I have nothing to back up my determination. There's nothing more I can do but this," Yusuke despondently murmured to Keiko's unmoving body as he knelt down and moved his face closer to hers.

Genkai and Kuwabara tried to pry Yusuke away from Keiko's slumbering form, thinking that the half-demon had already jumped the slippery slope and was now driven stark raving mad with grief and loss, but they were both too weak and exhausted to do so. Meanwhile, Kenshin winked into existence, the presence of Yusuke's power awakening him once more.

'Yusuke-dono... I can feel your emotions. What are you trying to do?' Kenshin thought as his ghostly cheeks grew warm for some reason. 'The origin for your sadness, I can understand, but why are you feeling so... embarrassed all of a sudden?'

At the back of Yusuke's mind, Rando's Kugai tried to take advantage of his despair, but bigger, greater feelings overwhelmed his hopelessness as the boy leaned forward, whispered, "Good-bye," to Keiko's heartbreakingly beautiful face, and kissed her on the lips.

If Keiko's unmoving body could blush, then it would've done so by then. Keiko's ghost certainly would've, if it were there, or if it could.

Yusuke could only taste bittersweet coldness from Keiko's icy lips, but he gave it no mind as he released all his pent-up frustrations and energy into what he hoped was a life-giving kiss. Because after this, he had nothing more left to give, and he wasn't sure if he could face the reality of loss just yet.

Sadly, this was only their third kiss to date since they first became a couple. The first was when Keiko helped him resurrect his body, the second was when he finally came back from his shortened trip in the Demon World. Hopefully, it was three times the charm, and not three strikes and they were out.

Just then, the immobile Keiko's eyelids started to flutter...

* * *

_Three weeks later, in the Urameshi residence, early in the evening... _

Yusuke and Keiko sat close together, closer than they ordinarily would, for they had the apartment to themselves that night, with Atsuko out for a session of drinking and partying with her friends. A romantic film played out on the television, and Keiko seemed absorbed by it, swooning now and then at the movie's admittedly shallow but altogether sweet and endearing story. Her boyfriend, on the other hand, contemplated suicide, just to cut short his inevitable death from sheer tedium.

Their unacknowledged pink elephant in the room was, of course, the regrettable crisis at Genkai's temple. The memory of Rando and the Shisejyu's sudden assault was fresh in both their minds. But for now, they pushed those memories aside and enjoyed themselves. Or rather, one of them did.

Obviously, Yusuke paid the movie but shallow heed, with most of his interest focused on Keiko... on her firm bosom, in particular. Her breasts... warm, cozy, inviting, and familiar... were making his head dizzy with all sorts of thoughts and ideas. It also made him briefly wonder why he was thinking such crazy things, unaware of his subconscious's memory of his head resting on those very breasts during the semifinals of the Ankoku Bujutsukai.

Of course, there were other things of interest to Yusuke near the vicinity of Keiko's thighs... or rather, what was in between them. Thankfully, when his girlfriend finally noticed his stare... and where he was staring... she didn't think of the perverted thoughts that must've been running through his head, instead remembering the same thing his subconscious recalled: that of her chest pillowing his napping head, the spiky tips of his disheveled but rather becoming hairstyle puncturing through the fabric of her shirt and prickling her bare skin.

Yusuke was also thinking of Keiko's chest, bare skin, and slender form as he did more than just tickle her fancy, but bringing up his lewd thoughts to a girl who was merely being wistfully romantic wasn't very prudent at all, so he wisely kept his mouth shut, averted Keiko's gaze, and glanced at her lips out of the corner of his eye.

The urge to kiss her pulsed in his still heart like a renewed heartbeat as his body stiffened in more ways than one. However, he couldn't follow through his overwhelming feelings right now. Not after what had happened to them earlier on. He tried to stifle it, but it refused to relent, springing back up stronger after each attempt.

He shifted restlessly, turning his head away when Keiko looked at him quizzically. He was afraid she would guess what was on his mind and correctly call him a pervert, slap him around like a rag doll, or much, much worse, but she said nothing and returned her attention to her boring old chick flick.

Fuck this shit. Yusuke wasn't like the protagonist of the movie Keiko was watching: a yellow-bellied loser who filled his head with thoughts of sap or bawdiness but was too much of a wimp to act on his emotions. To be more specific, he wasn't someone who couldn't man up enough to do something about the mounting sexual tension between him and the object of his affections. At that point, he decisively decided that this wasn't the time or place to be indecisive.

As his last mission demonstrated, life was too short to dawdle and dither over the important things in life. Besides, he was just with _Keiko_... not some stranger in a club or a knockout beauty down the street... Keiko, his lone childhood playmate and friend whom he was always comfortable talking to and being with. She eventually became his honest-to-goodness girlfriend, for Koenma's sake! What was wrong with him? He should talk to her!

The fact of the matter was that Yusuke was far too familiar with Keiko to be intimidated by her. There was no reason for him to feel awkward around her; absolutely no reason at all. As such, nodding resolutely to himself, Yusuke purposefully turned and addressed her with what he thought was a cool and suave, "Hey."

"What?" Keiko unthinkingly asked, not even bothering to turn towards her boyfriend, most of her attention focused on the movie.

"Nothing." Dammit.

Keiko rolled her eyes and drolly asked, "So are you done ogling my chest?"

Yusuke thought for all of five seconds. "...No." Well, at least he was being honest with her.

"Har, har. Very funny," Keiko stated with a smirk, then warned, "And don't you dare follow up that line with something dirty, or I'll make you regret it."

"Yes'm," Yusuke assented, then digressed, "So are we going to hold hands and do mushy stuff now or are we going to play wet leapfrog?" Whoops.

An empty popcorn bowl flew onto Yusuke's noggin, the cheap plastic cracking in half upon the Class-S demon spawn's adamantine skull. With the grace and carelessness of Keiko's bowl hurl, it seemed to annihilate a whole culture, a whole system of thought, as though the blissfully unaware society of the living and the poignant community of the dead and damned could all be swept into nothingness by a single splendid movement of her throwing arm. Either that, or the force of Keiko's throw had made Yusuke uncharacteristically contemplative for a second.

Alas, the half-demon's brief reprieve of poetic wisdom didn't last. "Aw, come on, Keiko! You were asking for it! If you tell me not to say something dirty, it's like warning a kid not to touch the cookie jar before he even realized that the jar had been restocked... you were the one who gave me the idea to do the dirty deed in the first place!"

Keiko harrumphed in disdain. "U-huh. That's just peachy, Yusuke. Real peachy. Do you really think it's such a good idea to be condescending to your _ex_-girlfriend? That is, unless you've already found a new girlfriend and you now feel confident enough to make our break up official."

Yusuke scrunched up his face as though he just ate a box of lemons. "Wait a goddamn minute... _ex_-girlfriend? Can you care to explain to me how that happened again? I think I must have missed something."

"You think?" Keiko shot back with a flippant toss of her brown tresses. She then gave Yusuke "The Look"... the same look she gave him when he first told her that he'd become Demon Royalty and had to go back to the Demon World to know more about his ancestry and some such nonsense. She only made that blank, flat look on her face when she was _really_ pissed off.

"Aw, come on, Keiko! You know I love you, right?" Yusuke confessed with a goofy grin on his face... the only way he could say such things without gagging at the sheer sap those three words induced in him.

Keiko shrugged. "Sure, sure. And so do I. That's not the point, though. Just because you've waltzed back in my life doesn't mean that we're automatically 'good', or anything. Remember, I never said that we were back together or anything."

"What? We were just on a date three weeks ago! We're even watching yet another lame movie right this very instant! What do you mean we're still not together? You're seriously giving me some mixed signals here, missy," Yusuke complained, but Keiko would not be swayed.

"Don't you remember that, before you went to the Demon World and promised to come back three years later, I dumped you? Oh sure, you swore that you'd marry me once you came back, but what did you do once you did? First, you got here in one and a half years instead of three years, so that's one promise broken..."

"I said I'll be back in _about_ three years," Yusuke interjected, doing everything that he could to keep Keiko from riding that dangerous train of thought... at least, it was dangerous for _him_. "I only swore that it won't go beyond a day longer! I didn't say that I won't come back in _less_ than three years! Besides, it's not my fault that I lost the Makai Tournament Semifinals and had to come back earlier than expected. Aren't you glad that I came back in advance? Have a heart, Keiko!"

Keiko cleared her throat primly and resumed, "Second, once you were here, you... didn't follow through with your marriage proposal. No ring. No engagement. No nothing. Of course, proposing just after you got dumped is a moronic thing to do anyway, so I probably shouldn't have bothered taking your word for it." She also didn't bother mentioning her disappointment, but the way she worded things, she might as well not have.

This time, Yusuke waited for Keiko to finish. Then, while carefully making sure his tone of voice didn't come off as flippant or rude, he ventured, "So I got here in half the time. That only means I'll marry you in one and a half year's time! I also have a freelance spirit detective job that's been in the dumps, so I get all my income from a _ramen stand_! I don't have the kind of money to buy you a ring... yet. Be reasonable!" Okay, he still needed to work on his "non-flippant and definitely not rude" _words_, but he was trying, at least.

Needless to say, Keiko was less than enthused by Yusuke's excuses. "On that note, you _did_ set up a ramen stand as a front for your freelance work as a Spirit Detective... instead of following through with _any_ of your promises. Dad was right; when you proposed to me the night before your trip to the Demon World, you were only doing that to appease my anger. Like when we were kids, whenever we fought the really big fights, you always flashed the 'marriage card' on me. Well, now that we're all grown up, it won't work this time around, buddy. All you have is lip service. So yes, as far as I'm concerned, you're not really my boyfriend anymore."

Keiko stopped her rant short once Yusuke began giving her his own version of "The Look". His eyes were so sharp, focused, and earnest that it was hard for his alleged former flame to avert her gaze. "W-What now?" she asked, gulping in anticipation.

"I'm going to start dating Botan, then," Yusuke proclaimed, sticking his tongue out at her churlishly. A fruit bowl flew to his head this time; he deftly caught it before it shattered on his thick skull.

"Yeah, right. Nice bluff. Botan's obviously too in love with Koenma to date a numbskull like you," Keiko retorted in a manner that resembled coy backtalk once she'd calmed down a bit... except her words didn't resemble coy backtalk in the least.

"Yeah, I've heard the rumors, but Koenma is actually hooked up with another shinigami named Ayame," Yusuke clarified; he figured that the least Keiko could do when making a rebuttal during their lover's quarrel was to get her facts straight.

"Well, um, how about Kenshin, then? They seemed pretty close after that Shisejyu debacle," Keiko suggested as she started to forget the topic that she and her not-boyfriend were discussing.

"That's a lot more complicated, but from what I've heard, Botan has the soul of Kenshin's ex-girlfriend inside her body or something. So... yeah," Yusuke replied, scratching his head. He could have left things at that, derailing Keiko's idle considerations of breaking up with him, but once he began talking unthinkingly, he really had a tendency to keep on going. "Hey, did you know that I once dreamed Botan was my wife, and Kurama and Hiei were my office mates or something like that? It was kind of freaky."

"..." Keiko threatened with a deadpan glare, her hands already clenched on the edges of a nearby table.

Backpedaling quickly, Yusuke blurted out, "I had an even freakier dream about a naked Genkai statue crumbling in front of me, cycling back to me accidentally groping her at an elevator. Seriously, Keiko! Naked Genkai Statue. Accidental Elevator Grope. Looping Dream. What more can I say?"

Keiko and Yusuke looked at each other for a full minute before bursting out in laughter at that last statement. Yusuke's dream about Genkai was just so unreal and ridiculous that they couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of its entire premise.

From there, after a passing glance at the clock, Keiko offhandedly reminded, "Oh yeah. Before you forget... it's going to be your turn to go to the hospital now, at about 9:00 PM. My parents should be back home by then. You did remember, right?"

"Oh yeah. I keep forgetting. What's your room number again?" Yusuke casually mentioned as he expressionlessly stared back at the television screen. The plot-less romantic drivel... er, _movie_ had ended by then, and the credits were already rolling.

"Room 210, on the second floor. Jeez, do I have to remind you every time?"

Keiko got up, her feet not quite touching the ground as she floated a few meters up to the ceiling in wistful melancholy. Well, not really _melancholy_, but more of resignation and a touch of ruefulness. For an earthbound ghost, she was pretty well-adjusted, actually.

And just like that, the two woke up from their pretend lover's quarrel and their faux argument. Their exchange of invectives, long and involved relationship debates, verbal inventiveness, and "Will they? Won't they?" sexual tension was largely manufactured by their own boredom and, sadly, an overlapping web of unfortunate events that made their circumstances one where they had to laugh or else they'd cry.

Sure, the combination of Yusuke, Kenshin, Kuwabara, Botan, Puu, and Genkai's life forces, the Demon Sword's magic, Genkai's Five Daiken Purification, and Yusuke's Kiss of Life was able to save Keiko from the brink of lifelessness nearly a month ago, but it was barely enough to get her back from certain death to uncertain death. Her body had now returned to its original state of half-alive, half-dead coma... the Schrödinger's Cat Dilemma... simply because the obstacles they faced were far more difficult to overcome than they'd anticipated. Real life had struck again.

"The brick walls are not there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something. Because the brick walls are there to stop the people who don't want it badly enough," was the quote Yusuke was trying to recall during the time he and his comrades were attempting to revive the dead Keiko.

Depending on Keiko's ultimate fate, he might soon find out that some brick walls were never meant to be scaled, such that no matter how hard he tried, how many tears he shed, how much energy he charged up, how unfair the situation was, how many worse situations he'd survived, or how badly he wanted something, he could not always get what he wanted.

In about one and half a years or less, Yusuke would eventually find out whether Keiko's dreamless death was just another brick wall for him to scale through or a past-due life lesson for him to learn from.

* * *

_Three weeks earlier, while Botan was busy keeping Keiko from passing on in the Spirit World..._

The ferry-girl's astral projection had finally reached its intended destination; the place where she spent much of her spiritual life in. Level 10 Block 1 of the Purgatorial Sector: The Elysian Fields.

It took her a long time to get there, and for a quite a while, she had gotten lost and somehow ended up in Level 17 Block 8 of the Corporeal Punishments Sector. She shuddered. Indeed, she had heard enough wailing and gnashing of teeth in that one awkward moment to last her a human lifetime.

Being there in the Elysian Fields brought back lots of memories for the ferry-girl. Actually, the exact opposite was instead true; being there in the Elysian Fields made Botan forget a lot of her memories... especially the memories of her past life.

Her past life. Huh. She must have been hard up on forgetting all about her past life to have willingly come there in the Elysian Fields... or so "Ayame-sempai" had her believe. In any case, something deep inside her gut told her that her senior was telling the truth: her past life as a human was something that she had _desperately_ wanted to forget, so much so that even now in her state of willful amnesia, she still remembered not wanting to remember a single thing about her past.

She shook her troubled mind clear of such thoughts as she focused on the thing that somehow caught her attention: a pristine white lotus petal on the ground. That lone petal had the fragrance of a thousand roses, yet its scent was as subtle as a gentle summer breeze. However, its aroma couldn't possibly compare to its oh-so-scrumptious taste and the effects it had on a wandering spirit's general, um, wellbeing. 'But of course. Why else would it be called the 'Flower of Eden'?'

She simply couldn't describe the feeling. Even though at the time she'd already forgotten everything about her life, she couldn't possibly forget the overwhelming emotions she got from ingesting the delicious flower. Every time she ate one, everything around her became intense and exaggerated. Her surroundings also became very animated; in touch, color, sharpness, sound, and smell, they all acquired vivacity beyond compare. It was as if she were alive again, feeling all of the above sensations simultaneously with more exuberance and feeling than she could ever imagine. The lotus petals made her feel as though she could never be sad again so long as she kept on eating them.

The ferry-girl remembered many a day in her stay in the Elysian Fields where she would sit idly, munching on the petals of the nearest lotus blossom in sweet bliss, forgetting all about her bitter past and not having a care in the world. She simply could not describe the feeling she felt every time she consumed the satisfying blossom. The sheer thrill she experienced from eating it was indescribable. It felt as though she were drunkenly infatuated with someone, or maybe it felt more like she were climaxing during love-making. No, it felt even better than that. Every fiber of her being exuded freedom. She underwent complete and total abandonment of herself. The lotus blossoms made her feel like Buddha after he reached enlightenment.

'But I digress,' Botan remarked to herself, spewing the lotus petal that somehow ended up in her mouth and blowing it into the misty waters. 'Boy, that was close. Eating those things is dangerous! Sure, they taste so good and give you such a high that you'd want more and more, but... but... what was so bad about them again?'

Botan pinched her cheeks in frustration. 'Ugh, Botan! Focus! I can't eat any of that stuff! They'll make me fat... no, I mean, forget about my mission... and everything else, while we're at it... and turn me into a lotus-eating junkie... again. Though there are worse things that could happen to a person... and I can easily see myself staying here and eating lotus blossoms for the rest of my spiritual life... priorities _are_ PRIORITIES! I need to find KEIKO-CHAN, and I need to find her NOW!'

Botan pointlessly breathed in and out, calming her frayed... and mostly imaginary, since she was in spirit form... nerves. 'Wow. It's been so long since I first came here, hasn't it? It's been fifty-something years since I first entered this place. I think.'

After an eternity of searching through thousands of lotus-eating junkies, Botan's heart got caught in her throat as she found a trail of rocks leading straight to the person she was looking for; she'd finally reached her intended target just in the nick of time.

"Keiko-chan! KEIKO-CHAN! It's me, Botan! I've come to get you out of here!" She excitedly landed on the nearby patch of land, relieved to see that the ghost of Yusuke's childhood friend was all right.

Her heart subsequently plunged into her stomach as she saw the bits of lotus petals on the side of her dear friend's chin; Keiko Yukimura was now one of _ them_: one of the lotophagi.

Munching idly on a lotus blossom, Keiko deadpanned, "Hello there, miss. And you are...?"

"Uh, um, it's me... Botan." The ferry-girl tentatively reintroduced herself as she bowed, then scratched her chin in consternation. 'Oh great. It's like I'm talking to a senile old granny. I guess I'd better humor her for now.' "Uh, nice to meet you. Anyway, I've actually come here for you, Yukimura Keiko! Today, we need to..."

"Um..." Keiko stared at Botan blankly. "Who's Yukimura Keiko?"

Botan nearly facefaulted, but caught herself in the middle of her fall. 'No good. She's eaten enough lotus blossoms to forget her own name! Hmmm. Come to think of it, so did I once upon a time, BUT THAT'S NOT IMPORTANT RIGHT NOW!'

"Keiko we really need to get out of here or else you will become a lotus druggie and I... !" Botan explained in one breath, teary-eyed and terrified beyond words at her friend's present condition.

"What are you going on about? Slow down. Deep breaths," Keiko berated in level-headed calm and composure, her eyes half-lidded in indifference.

Botan slowed down, took deep breaths, then resumed her bout of panic. "C'mon, Keiko! Don't tell me that you've forgotten your own name!" 'You'd have to be plenty wasted to do that,' the aqua-haired shinigami said and thought respectively, concern marring her beautiful features. "You remember who I am, right? I'm Botan!"

Keiko tilted her head, then shrugged. "Humph. Names. Who needs them? A rose by any other name smells just as sweet and fragrant. You can call me Master Jericho for all I care. I'm perfectly happy just the way I am now."

"J-Jericho...?" Botan blinked soundly. 'Yep. She's wasted.'

Jericho, er, Keiko ate more of the delectable lotus blossoms at hand before offering one to Botan. "Want some? They're practically growing everywhere for easy pickings, and they taste oh-so-magnificent... like a piece of paradise in your mouth. You should give it a try."

"N-N-No. I really shouldn't, b-but thanks anyway," Botan stuttered as she hastily wiped the cold sweat off of her brow. 'Break the habit, Botan. Break the HABIT!'

Keiko shrugged once again. "Suit yourself." She afterwards focused her full attention on picking up more blossoms for her hearty consumption. "Well, it was nice meeting you... whoever you are. See you whenever. Ciao."

"Ciao?" Botan did an impressive double-to-triple-take at Keiko's declaration. "H-Hey! Wait! You can't let things end this way! You still have your whole life ahead of you. Just because Seiryu killed you doesn't mean that you'll have to spend the rest of your spiritual life in purgatory, stuck in a state of blissful ignorance of who you really are!"

But Keiko had already consumed three whole helpings of lotus blossoms during the course of Botan's impassioned speech. The schoolgirl then blinked, looked up at the ferry-girl, then cheerfully greeted, "Hello! And who might you be?"

"..." Botan detailed. 'I think I'm going to cry. How can I make you remember, Keiko-chan? What must I do so that I can remind you of who you really are?'

"So you don't know your own name too, huh? I've met lots of people here who are like that." Keiko gave Botan a sympathetic pat on the shoulder. "But that's all right. As long as everybody has a steady supply of lotus blossoms to eat, then everything will be a-okay! Right?" She afterwards winked and did a thumb's up sign.

"Ah..." Botan started, boggling at Keiko's sudden shift of moods. 'Did I act this wasted when I was lotophagi? Jeez, Keiko-chan is becoming the poster child of a public service announcement on drugs right before my very eyes!'

Like a small child, Keiko again shifted her attention to other matters of great importance: matters involving lotus blossoms and lotus blossom consumption, no doubt. "Well, I guess that's that. I better get going, um..." The young ghost girl seemed to ponder something for a little bit before smacking her palm with a closed fist. Realization had apparently struck her at the back of her amnesiac mind. "Wait! I know who you are!"

Botan suddenly brightened like a halogen lamp as she elatedly jumped at her forgetful friend with uncontainable excitement. "Do you remember who I am? Who you are? Why you have to get out of here?"

But Keiko wasn't even listening to the Angel of Death. "Jeremiah! No, Michaela! Wait, no, Charlene! You're Charlene! I should call you Charlene, because you look like a Charlene to me!" the young girl chirpily assessed. "Well, anyway... Good-bye, Charlene! I hope you have a happy life! Try one of these lotus blossoms sometime, they taste fantastic."

Botan's mouth went agape as she reflexively bowed down and waved good-bye at Keiko in a dazed and confused manner. Once she regained control of her psychomotor functions, the blue-haired ferry-girl of death cried out, "Now just hold on a minute, Keiko-chan!"

"...Jenny. I like the name Jenny. Call me Jenny," _Jenny_ helpfully supplied as she crouched down and picked up a fresh stash of lotus blossoms, putting them inside the folded hem of her uniform's skirt.

"Fine, Jenny-chan..." Botan blinked several times. "N-No. Just... no. Keiko. You're not a darn foreigner, you're Keiko-chan! And stop distracting me, your name is beside the point! You couldn't possibly forget everything about your life just like that, not after everything you've gone through!" Growling like a feral hellcat, Botan charged forward, startling the young girl and making her drop her prized lotus blossoms on the ground. Several lotophagi suddenly appeared out of nowhere and quickly snatched away the delightful, mind-altering plants.

The absentminded female was further taken aback when the ferry-girl grabbed her by the shoulders, holding her at arm's length. "Snap out of it, Keiko! You've got to remember who you are and where you came from, damn it! I won't allow you to become a lotophagi junkie! No way! You are not a lemming! We have to get out of here before this whole damn place swallows you whole!"

"Hey, let go! Stop shaking me, Charlene!" Keiko shrieked as she resisted the distressed girl's grip. Feeling ashamed for her sudden outburst, Keiko quickly got her breath back. Controlled herself. Forced herself to calm down and relax. Whatever it was that the crazy lady was ranting about, it didn't apply to her. So... she had nothing to worry about.

"Look, I barely know you, and I have better things to do. I couldn't care less why you're here, why you're calling me strange names, and why you'd actually _think_ that I'd willingly come with you and leave this wonderful, magical place behind. So stop wasting my time if you have nothing better to say, okay?" Keiko admonished, laying down her ultimatum on the upset shinigami.

And with that, Keiko made her way out of the area, leaving Botan there like a child asked to think about what she'd done wrong. And the Goddess of Bereavement indeed had a lot to think about.

Feeling like she had little to lose at that point, Botan fumbled through the inside flaps of her kimono and took out the standard issue guidebook of all shinigami that detailed everything they needed to know about the lives of millions of humans: the Book of Fate. She hastily flipped through its pages before stopping on a particular profile. "Do you remember," she winced at the characters, "Daiichi All-Girls Academy? In that school, you're the class representative of your section, aren't you?"

Keiko didn't even miss a beat as she, in turn, rummaged through a nearby bushel of pre-picked lotus blossoms that a slumbering lotophagi carelessly left unguarded. "Yes! I've hit pay dirt. Sorry, mister. You snooze, you lose."

"And what about your best friends what's-her-face and the other girl?" Botan tried to find the names of Keiko's closest acquaintances in the book, but then decided that she had very little time to waste. "Don't tell me that you've forgotten their names the same way as I did! You're way nicer than that! Also, what about your parents who run the Yukimura Diner? Have you forgotten about them too?"

Keiko continued to ignore Botan as she added even more lotus flowers to her current supply while keeping a wary eye out for any wily lotus blossom thieves like herself.

"And I bet it's impossible for you to forget all about Urameshi Yusuke, right?" That got Keiko's attention. Botan prodded, "How can you _not_ remember? He is, after all, a disgusting, irresponsible, and annoying brat who always teased you and caused you trouble. You were his only friend from way back when. Also, you were always there for him, even when his mother wasn't."

Botan laughed; she didn't care if it was an appropriate time for her to do so, she just did. "Who would have thought that a juvenile delinquent like him would end up with a straight-A student like you? I guess opposites really do attract."

"Shut up, Charlene. I'm not listening to you or any more of your weird stories," Keiko pointed out without looking up from her crouched position. She was about ready to eat yet another lotus blossom when she heard Botan's next lines, stopping her short of taking a bite out of flowery bliss.

"Most importantly, Yusuke's the most important person in your life, so of course you'd remember him! You brought him back to life with a kiss, he nearly died for you once or twice trying to save your life, and you waited for him oh-so-patiently for one and a half years while he was in the Demon World. A blind person can see how important you two are to each other. Even in your state of amnesia, your feelings for him should overcome your forgetfulness!"

Keiko threw the flower bud at Botan's face in frustration. "No! Stop it! SHUT UP! I don't _want_ to REMEMBER! I don't want to dredge up the past! I don't care who Kyosuke or Eugene or Tetsuo is! I JUST WANT TO BE LEFT ALONE! Can't you just leave me in peace?" She proceeded to break down and cry in the middle of the lotus fields.

Botan bit her lip as she cautiously approached the sobbing Keiko. 'I'm so sorry about this, Keiko... but I had to say it! I can't stand the thought of losing you to this place.' She wistfully looked up at the foggy skies. 'Come to think of it, nearly the same thing happened when Ayame-sempai tried to get me out of the Purgatorial Sector. I couldn't stop myself from crying. I didn't want to leave.'

Botan's pensive gaze turned resolute. 'But I still have to do this. Even if... even if Enma Daio himself ordered Ayame to get Keiko in here for the sake of turning her into a ferry-girl just like me, I won't allow it. She still has Yusuke to take care of, after all.' She put a gentle, comforting hand on the bawling girl's shoulder.

The Death Goddess flinched as Keiko slapped her hand away. 'Boy, she's really angry now. I don't blame her. The shock of her death may have sealed the deal for her, causing her to drown all her problems with these lotus blossoms. At this point, she's too afraid to remember who she really was simply because it'd reveal to her everything she had lost by dying in Seiryu's hands. In short, she's in total denial.'

Botan let out a vaporous breath of resolution. 'I _knew_ that it'd come to this. It looks like there's no other way. I have to give it to her now.' She fumbled through her sleeves again before getting a hold of what looked like, for all intents and purposes, a shiny apple.

"Look, I'm really sorry for all the trouble I've caused. Don't worry, I won't push the issue any further." The ferry-girl smiled friendlily at her contemplative friend. "Let me make it up to you. Are you hungry, Kei... I mean, Jenny-chan? I have something that tastes even _better_ than all those yucky lotus blossoms you've been eating. It's a delicious apple," Botan lied through her teeth.

Keiko raised an eyebrow as she cautiously and suspiciously eyed the blood-red fruit.

"Oh, come on. Take a bite! It's just a harmless apple. And you know what they say, 'An apple a day...'" Botan insisted.

Keiko examined the fruit carefully, noticed its pear-like shape and multilayered skin, and declared, "That's not an apple. You can't fool me. There's no way you're making me eat that fruit. I've heard of it; it came from the Tree of Knowledge. People say that eating it will cause certain death, and I don't want to die!" Keiko hastily backed away from the ferry-girl, prompting several lotophagi, upon overhearing the conversation, to retreat into the fields of white and pink as well, away from the cursed fruit.

'That's a lot different from what _I_ heard. Besides, of all the things she could remember, why did she recall that particular tidbit?' Botan snorted. "Get real, Keiko-chan. You're already dead. Eating this fruit won't kill you. Besides, if it really was supposed to kill you, then it should have been called, 'The Fruit from the Tree of Death', right?"

"Stop it. I told you to stop calling me Keiko-chan. And for the last time, stop telling me all these lies! I'm not dead. In fact, I've never felt more alive in all my life!" The obstinate Keiko slapped the apple-like fruit from Botan's hand. "Keep that thing away from me."

'You're as stubborn as ever, Keiko-chan,' Botan thought as she picked up the faux-apple off of the ground. She took great pains to obtain the forbidden fruit before getting to the Elysian Fields, so she'd damn well find a way to get Keiko to eat it even if it kills her. She afterwards developed another plan. Its consequences might just be too much for her to handle, but she was willing to take the risk.

"I don't see what you're getting all worked up about. This thing's delicious! Watch." As Botan said the words, she cleaned the fruit with her left sleeve and took a large bite out of it with no hesitation or contestation. 'This is all for your sake, Keiko-chan. So you better eat this damn fruit, or else!' After that, she did her best to conceal her displeasure over the bitter aftertaste. "Yummy!"

After Keiko saw the stranger eat the fruit with no ill effects, she reconsidered her first assessment. Truth be told, she would rather eat more of the delicious, ecstasy-inducing lotus flowers, but her curiosity quickly got the better of her. The schoolgirl saw that the fruit was good to eat and pleasant to the eyes; little did she know that it was also ideal for getting lost knowledge about one's self as well. With no signs of reluctance, she took a bite out of the contentious fruit.

Botan gulped, hastily wiping the tears that formed in her eyes. She didn't want to think about the consequences of her eating the fruit as of yet. 'If eating that damn fruit will cause me to remember a little bit of my past, then so be it. Jenny's worth it. Er, I mean, Keiko's worth it. Yeah.'

Keiko at first balked at the bitterness of the fruit, then her mind's eyes opened and saw her unlocked memories burst into her head like water from a broken dam. In that brief instant, Keiko indeed saw her life pass before her very eyes.

Keiko suddenly slapped Botan hard on the cheek, leaving a stinging red mark on the ferry-girl's face. That gave Botan her second greatest shock of the day; the first one was Keiko's death.

"Why did you make me remember? Why didn't you just let me forget, knowing the reality of the situation? Why now, after I've successfully forgotten everything? How dare you. How dare you let me suffer like this!" came the livid Keiko's tirade.

"Keiko-chan, I... I..." Botan started, searching for the right words to say; her search was futile.

"Actually, I've been thinking. Ever since I left that trail of rocks for you to follow, I've been thinking. I said to myself, 'What's the point of all this? What am I doing this for? Am I really that confident that I'll be found? That I'll survive?' These questions echoed in my mind over and over. I thought I was going completely insane..."

"But you can't give up now!" Botan interrupted, not liking the direction the conversation was going. "I'm sure there's a way for you to come back to life. There always is. No, there definitely is!"

"What a nice sentiment." Keiko chuckled somberly. "If there really is a chance for me to come back to life, then what am I doing here in this lonely, godforsaken land in the first place? Why am I a ghost now? What was I doing in the River Styx, floating towards 'where I'm supposed to be'? Why wasn't Genkai-baasan able to save me? Why wasn't Yusuke...?" Her lips trembled as her eyes moistened. "Just let me be. I'm tired. I've had enough."

After a fair amount of quiet contemplation and deliberation, Botan retorted with, "Resigning yourself to spend two human lifetimes here in purgatory isn't the answer, Keiko-chan! Please, don't run away from your past. I beg you, have more faith in Yusuke!"

"Then tell me, can Yusuke find a way to return me to my body? Can Koenma Daio? Can you?" Poignant tranquility reigned supreme as Keiko waited ever so patiently for Botan's answer. "I thought so," the ghost-girl stated with resolute conclusiveness.

Botan had just about enough of Keiko's angst-ridden cheekiness. "You want the truth? Fine. I don't know. I don't know whether or not I, or Yusuke, or Koenma Daio can save your life, seeing the permanent damage Seiryu did to your body." The shinigami's passionate avowal prompted a pained wince from Keiko. "I came here on a whim, with only a faint hope that Koenma-sama can somehow find a loophole or something to revive you the same way he did Yusuke. But that's probably just a delusion of mine, knowing the situation."

Botan sighed forlornly. "Maybe you're right. Maybe it was stupid of me to go here in the Elysian Fields to pick you up. Maybe this was all a big mistake, and ignorance truly is bliss. But you know what? I don't give a damn. I'm not only trying to save your butt for your own sake, but for Yusuke's as well. So what if there's little to no chance of you recovering? We'll find a way. We'll do whatever it takes to get you back. If that's still not enough, then tough luck; it's time to let go. But not right now. Not while you still have a shadow of a chance left. Never let go while that small spark of hope is still there!"

There was another pregnant pause. "B-But what if...?" Keiko sputtered in fear and apprehension.

"No more buts. No more buts, ifs, and whys. No more questions, please. We'll simply cross that bridge when we get there. For now, what's important is that we get out of here." Botan summoned her mystic oar and motioned Keiko to hop on. "We have to go, Keiko-chan. We still have some unfinished business to take care of."

Her eyes downcast, Keiko nodded in agreement as she made her way towards the ferry-girl's unusual mode of transportation.

* * *

_Three weeks later, at the Gates of Judgment..._

Yusuke comically boggled at what Botan had just revealed for thirty minutes straight. "Really? You did all that while Kenshin and I were fighting a whole gauntlet of baddies? You're pulling my leg."

Kenshin scratched his cheek sheepishly. "Actually, I was the one who was fighting the gauntlet of baddies, Yusuke-dono."

"Shut up! Rando was a hundred and one enemies in one, so... shut up!" Yusuke barked at Kenshin, unaccustomed to the swordsman's more caustic nature as of late. "Can you back Botan's bizarre story up, Jenny?"

Keiko coughed primly before making Yusuke's spine literally tingle with her ghostly touch. "Don't call me that."

Botan smilingly sighed, saddened over the fact that the forbidden fruit would eventually unlock her hidden past sooner or later..

* * *

**To be Continued...**

_Next (for Demon Sword): The demon fox and the evil-eyed madman. _

_Next (for Youtou Shinnoken): Sano and Yahiko's day out._

On a more important note, you might be wondering about the two 'next' previews above. There's a reason for that, actually. Now that the first major arc of Youtou Shinnoken: Demon Sword is... oh dear Lord God in Heaven... finally, _ finally_ over, I'm now trying out something different to keep things interesting (for me and, hopefully, the readers), and the thing that inspired me to do this was... well, wrestling. Yeah.

In more specific terms, Demon Sword will now focus mostly (but not exclusively) on Yuyu Hakusho protagonists and Rurouni Kenshin antagonists, while Youtou Shinnoken will focus mostly (but not exclusively) on Rurouni Kenshin protagonists and Yuyu Hakusho antagonists. Instead of two plot lines running together on one fic, the other plot line has a separate story of its own, a la side story (but not quite). For sure, it'll be an interesting experience. Ergo, let my little Experiment with Prose begin!

_Hajime!_  
**Abdiel**


	20. Chapter 19

_At the night of Keiko's semi-revival through the combined efforts of Yusuke, Kenshin, Botan, Kuwabara, Puu, and Genkai... _

As Keiko's disembodied soul watched while Yusuke and the others put her comatose frame into the emergency ward of the nearest hospital, she did not cry. When she floated into her room, passing through the door like the ghost that she was, she drifted inside calmly, even as her own parents arrived frantically, crying and wailing at her miserable fate, demanding Yusuke to tell them what had happened to their precious daughter and blaming him and the rest of his companions for her current state.

She wished she could somehow comfort her parents and tell them that Yusuke and the others were not at fault for her predicament, but her hands were tied. She was a mere ghost now... they could not see her, even if they tried. Yusuke could not explain to them the details surrounding her mysterious ailment. The supernatural truth behind her condition was already too much to swallow by those who did know better, so how much more her unaware parents, then?

In any case, that evening, she went to the hospital bed where her body lay quietly, floating right inside it but not managing to actually enter and revive it from the inside like some sort of car or motorbike. All that time, she did not shed a single tear. She just lay there, staring up at the ceiling all night, defiantly not crying.

In the first few days, Keiko's parents refused Yusuke access to their daughter, but after the repeated cycle of him sneaking into his girlfriend's room then getting shooed away... plus his firm insistence to take responsibility for her situation by offering part of his ramen shop's profits to her hospitalization... the couple relented, realizing that "Good ol' Yu-chan" had nothing to do with Keiko's "accident".

Then, at the fourth night of Keiko's hospital stay, with Yusuke sleeping right beside her, her spirit suddenly confessed fears she'd been keeping inside her heart since the Shisejyu's assault. "Yusuke..." she squeaked; she hadn't spoken for so long that she was a bit surprised that she still had a voice to speak with.

"Hmmm?" Yusuke incoherently asked, smacking his lips and yawning in bleariness.

"What if I never get back to my body? What if my comatose body gives in and I have to move on? What then?"

In contrast to the Yusuke of a few years back... the one who died for the first time and was willing to let go of Keiko after he realized that he might never come back to _his_ body for many, many years to come... this Yusuke answered, "Then I'll just follow you to the Spirit World and try my luck there. I don't know; maybe I'll ask them to turn me into a shinigami or whatever. I'll think of something, but don't you worry. I'll take care of you. While there's still a small chance that your body won't turn into a vegetable or your brain into soup, I'll take it. I wouldn't want your folks to worry about their daughter or anything."

Keiko smiled to herself, jibing, "That's the stupidest plan I've ever heard. Use your head for once!" before she got up from her body and "leaned" right beside Yusuke, her spirit positioned in such a way that she wouldn't suddenly pass through him because of her intangibleness.

* * *

**Demon Sword**

A Yuyu Hakusho/Rurouni Kenshin Crossover Fan Fiction by Chester Castañeda and Danyal Herder

Original Concept by Chad Yang

Well, what more can I say? I've always wanted to experiment on making a fanfic simulate the differences between an anime adaptation from the manga version. Lo and behold, here we are.

_Disclaimer: Yuyu Hakusho is the rightful property of Yoshihiro Togashi, Shueisha, Fuji TV, and St. Pierrot. Rurouni Kenshin is the rightful property of Nobuhiro Watsuki and Sony. This disclaimer also covers all the other copyrighted material that are far too many to mention here. Don't sue me please, I'm very poor._

* * *

**Chapter 19: Smile Bomb (Part 1)**

* * *

_One and a half weeks after the attack at Genkai's temple, in Shinjuku... _

Walking down the street, the dark-clothed, svelte-shaped, and short-haired female with a long metal cane slipped beneath the moonlit night that shone clear and bright with the promise of tomorrow yet was submerged by the bleak shadows of hopelessness and despair.

She strode alone at a glistening street that overlooked the vast metropolis while fickle gale winds and light squalls scrabbled at her and her flimsy vest. The panoply of bejeweled lights engulfed the skyline before her in soundless confirmation of unreachable dreams. Moreover, the prison that presently held her was far sturdier than mere steel, for it was wrought with trauma and muffled screams.

Shinjuku, the Electric City of Light and Darkness, served as a case study of the disparities and contrasts that defined all plains of existence and all realms of reality. No other place in Japan embodied purity and contamination, elegance and seediness, affluence and poverty, influence and helplessness, generosity and greed, heaven and hell, and good and evil better than this particular Tokyo ward did.

Freedom had seldom experienced greater stock in all of history than at that particular moment: the Berlin Wall had fallen just four years previous, Czechoslovakia had ceased to exist at the start of the year, the President of America and the President of the Russian Federation signed the Second Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, Japan's economy had gained significant momentum, and global affairs in general appeared to be going in the right direction. Everyone was looking forward to the impending new millennium and viewed it as yet another period of bountiful intemperance.

However, this false sense of liberty is causing society to become selfish, shallow, and totally enslaved to their hedonistic agenda. All and sundry felt so free with their debauchery and reckless abandon that they were soon imprisoned by their capricious little whims, especially those who'd become accustomed to the last decade's culture of materialism and capitalism.

The girl's cynical ruminations made her yearn for a bygone period... three lifetimes ago and certainly way before her time... when people still valued the morals of honor, self-respect, loyalty, and commitment. She felt as though she were born in the wrong era altogether.

She trudged onward, trekking through the puddles of rippling rainwater towards her apartment beside Shinjuku's Skyscraper District that would serve as her temporary abode until circumstances deemed it fit for her to move. At this distance from the heart of the city... the Shinjuku Station... the bustle of cars and people died down for the evening, leaving the quiet behind as a guardian until the next day, when _they_ would return.

"Well, what do we have here? I do believe that you're walking through our territory." Turning her head, the young woman spared the thug who emerged from the stark-black shadows of Kabukicho... Japan's biggest and most untamed red light district that flanked Shinjuku Station at all four directions... a careless glance before directing her attention back to the way she was traveling.

"And everyone knows that you need to pay to go through here; isn't that right, Nagasu?" a second hulking man queried, stepping out from behind his companion, followed shortly by the other half-dozen grimy ruffians who made up the group.

Moving her gaze to the darkness beyond them, she remained silent; barely seeming to breathe, let alone move in response to the implied threat.

This action just infuriated the man, who stepped closer to her. "Hey, pay attention when I'm talking to you! Otherwise, you'll end up hurting bad, and that would make our day... but it won't be as fun for you, though," he barked at her. His friends cackled in response, finding ill humor in his words.

In a soft voice that carried across the distance between them, she directed her words at the austere ether. "So now you send others to stand in my way in order to hide yourself. Do you fear what I represent, or are you following orders again from those who would call themselves your masters?"

The howls of the gang and the ravings of their apparent leader were her only answers. "So be it. Let this lay upon your head, for it won't be on mine."

A few seconds later, all was silent once more. The rumble of thunder was heard in the distance.

* * *

_Three weeks after the attack at Genkai's temple, in the Spirit World... _

Yusuke, Kenshin, Botan, and Keiko gathered together for the first time since the incident in order to meet with Koenma regarding their next course of action. They'd just arrived at the Hall of Judgment, currently awaiting an audience with the Lord of the Dead.

"Really? You did all that while Kenshin and I were fighting a whole gauntlet of baddies? You're pulling my leg," Yusuke told Botan with boggled eyes and an indescribable face as she related to them her harrowing journey through the River Styx and the Purgatorial Sector in order to save Keiko's life and memories.

"Actually, I was the one who was fighting the gauntlet of baddies, Yusuke-dono," Kenshin couldn't help but correct, much to Yusuke's consternation and the two girls' amusement.

"Shut up! Rando was one-hundred-and-one enemies in one, so... shut up, you braggart!" Yusuke sputtered at the surprisingly sarcastic Kenshin because he was a lot more accustomed to the swordsman's meeker personality. He then turned his attention towards his girlfriend and mocked, "Can you back Botan's bizarre story up, 'Jenny'?" referring to the name Keiko called herself while under the influence of the lotus blossoms' amnesiac effects.

Keiko nonchalantly took advantage of her ghostly constitution, grabbed hold of Yusuke's spine... or whatever its astral body equivalent was... and yanked it hard. "Don't call me that, Eugene."

Botan did a chuckling sigh, dismayed by the fact that the Fruit of the Tree of Knowledge would eventually unlock her hidden memories sooner or later. Then again, since its effects were only temporary on a soul who had undergone many years' worth of karmic purification within the Elysian Fields, she better decide quickly whether or not she wanted to know the truth behind her past life.

At any rate, the quartet unceremoniously reached the hallway leading directly to Koenma Daio's spacious office a minute later. Botan took note that the waiting couches outside the double doors were a fairly recent addition.

'Looks like Koenma-sama has become busier than ever before,' Botan reflected to herself. Ever since Enma Daio's son decided to adopt the New York Stock Exchange paradigm when it came to ferrying souls through Reikai's multitude of levels in the late eighteenth century, he seldom ever needed waiting couches or lines to do his job. Indeed, out of all the celestial beings inhabiting Heaven, he was the most traveled and informed god of them all... or at least next to Susanoo, he was.

Unnoticed by the foursome because they mostly focused their attention on the unfamiliar couches, a split-second flash of bright light silhouetted the crevices of the twin doors before fading away into obscurity.

"You two lovebirds should be the first ones to go," Botan insisted to a glaring, red-faced Yusuke and an uncharacteristically quiet Keiko as she gently ushered Kenshin towards one of the couches. "Kenshin's dilemma with the Demon Sword and my problem with the voices in my head can wait for the time being. You two have far more pressing concerns to attend to. Besides, Koenma-sama himself said that he wanted to see you two first. Go on right ahead."

"Well, you heard the blue-haired lady, Keiko. Let's get going," Yusuke called out to his subdued significant other as he opened the humongous double doors and boldly walked through them.

"Ah! Yusuke, you dummy! Wait...!" Keiko protested in one breath, unsure of what was to come after the doors behind her were shut.

The pair quickly found themselves in a square room with a high roof (since this office was originally designed for Enma Daio's use) as well as sparsely decorated yet brightly colored walls, ceilings, pillars, and floor. A slightly winded Koenma nodded at the duo.

"Ah, Yusuke. Yukimura-san. I've been expecting you two. Please, take a seat and make yourselves comfortable. I was just having a meeting with two other spirits who are connected to this Chojin case, and I've recently sent them back to the Human World. We have much to discuss, but I'll have to ask for your patience for the time being, because I still need the help of several of my shinigami to... Yusuke, what are you doing down there?"

Yusuke prostrated himself in front of the miniature god of death, genuflecting as he entreated, "I won't dare ask you to break the laws of your kingdom just to revive Keiko, even as a favor. But please tell me right now if it's too late for her to come around or not. Tell me if there's something I could do to help her wake up or if there's nothing that can be done at all."

His head shot up as he crawled towards Koenma on all fours. "Because I'll do anything, _anything_ in my power to bring her back to normal, even to the point of giving up my own worthless, twice-resurrected life. Otherwise, tell me _right now_ if reviving her is a pipe dream, because I just can't... I don't want her or her family to suffer for any longer than they have to."

"Yusuke," Keiko whispered, unused to seeing her childhood friend humiliate himself like that.

Koenma let out a deep, forlorn sigh before stating, "Have a seat. This may take a while. Yukimura Keiko's case is not yet at a critical, point-of-no-return stage, but rescuing her is not going to be easy either. I want you to hear everything that Ayame, Hinageshi, and Sayaka have to say about this matter before making your decision."

Keiko blinked, recognizing none of those girls' names. However, Yusuke himself remembered all three of the shinigami... or all two shinigami and one shinigami-in-training, at the very least. "Ayame? Hinageshi? Sayaka? What do they have...?"

Yusuke didn't have to get up, because Keiko herself put him back on his feet by grabbing hold of the spiritual version of his body's clothes and hauling him up in the air. "Who are those girls, Yusuke?"

"It's not what you think, you green-eyed harpy!" Yusuke protested.

* * *

_One week after the attack at Genkai's temple, somewhere in the Demon World... _

The realm of Makai held countless strongholds and castles built for individuals who commanded enough power to warrant their own living space. The most notable home was that of the current ruler, Enki, where all the official business of the demonic territory was done.

Still, if one were to wander about the land for just a few hours, several more could be found, giving demons and their legions a base to train and pursue whatever their agendas happened to be. Because they so often held such powerful creatures, they were rarely disturbed by thuggish or thieving minor youkai, and could be left unguarded.

Such was the case with one of the many bases just a few hours away from Enki's home. It was a magnificent residence, capable of housing hundreds of demons comfortably. It was set aside from the streets of everyday activity with its own field of dozens of acres used as training grounds. The building itself was constructed of a white compound that contrasted with the dreary sky that permanently drifted above it.

A fire roared through one of the rooms on the top floor, which stood three stories above ground level. Inside, a demon with eternally closed eyes but six constantly twitching ears sat in a luxurious red chair, his head facing the ceiling and his mind locked in deep meditation. He was alone in the room, but the wind could still be heard sharply across the windows. Nothing had disturbed the being for hours, and nothing ever did until a miniscule sound above him caught his attention. He stood up and used his fantastic auditory abilities to trace where the sound came from. After a few seconds of listening, he threw his head down and chortled.

"You may come out now, Mukuro. I can tell that it's you," he declared with a manly, booming voice that belied his soft, effeminate features.

A flash of red light flared in front of him, then a woman with the right side of her face wrapped in bandages emerged from it. In the place of her right eye was a jade orb that was wired to an apparatus that hung all the way below her neck. Taking a seat on a chair across the table from the six-eared demon, she brushed a bit of dust off of her sleeve. "It took you over three seconds to realize that it was me, Yomi. I hope you haven't gotten complacent in these few months of peace," she appraised.

Yomi snorted. "Nonsense; I'm just not used to people running around on the roof of my home. Forgive me for this... complacency, as you put it," he finished sarcastically. "Now, why have you requested an audience with me?"

Mukuro exhaled languidly. "All right, there's no point in beating around the bush. After all, I'm sure you know that I wouldn't ask to speak with you if it weren't important." She shrugged, unsure if Yomi would be able to notice her minute body movements. "Hiei's been doing an excellent job of patrolling our lands and finding those that should not be in Makai. However, he's also come across some bits of information here and there that could prove interesting if not addressed."

"Oh?" Yomi asked, leaning back on his chair and folding his left leg over his right. "What makes this information special? You know that I've got agents working for me as well, and they're always bringing me news, but most of it are worthless. What makes Hiei's findings unique?"

"It's nothing earth-shattering; at least, not yet. But he has encountered a fair number of demons... five or six, if I'm not mistaken... that all tell the same story of some being attempting to cross over worlds and take over Reikai, then Ningenkai. If it were just one or two wretches claiming to work for this spirit or some such, Hiei wouldn't have brought it to my attention."

Yomi shook his head. "So? If that's all you have, than you've wasted my time. Even if you think this is worth noting, you should discuss it with Koenma Daio, or even..." his small smile disappeared into a look of disgust, "our Lord, Enki."

"Don't say such infuriating things," Mukuro snapped. "We both know that Enki won that tournament purely on the luck of the draw. He could never have beaten me if I hadn't just fought Hiei and Natsume, or you after just fighting Urameshi. As such, I refuse to acknowledge him as the Lord of Makai, and I suggest you do the same."

"Your jealousy over the outcome of the match is amusing, I must admit." Yomi's grin resumed. "But still, you are correct that we are the most powerful beings in the three worlds. Koenma Daio is little more than a figurehead, especially since his father had been overthrown and exiled. Also, because the Human World has no true ruler, that leaves just the two of us." He stood up. "Does this mean that you think this tale of a multi-dimensional, power-hungry madman is so great that you assume we should fight? If that's the case, my dear, than it is you and not I who has grown complacent in this era."

A space-slicing hand of Mukuro slammed on the table. "Stop putting words in my mouth," she snarled. "How I would've loved to battle you in the finals of the Makai Tournament..." Her voice trailed off for a second before continuing again. "Regardless, I have no intention of having the two of us become personally involved. However, with both of our second-in-commands being very close to Reikai and its current state of affairs..."

"You want me to summon Kurama and have him work with Hiei for the time being to investigate the matter further," Yomi finished. "I truly don't see why we should even bother; doubtless, Koenma probably enlisted Yusuke, but..." He hesitated for a moment. "Very well. In the interest of full disclosure, Kurama has already done a bit of research on this subject. I gather that Hiei or Koenma told him about it earlier."

Mukuro raised her only eyebrow. "Did he tell you anything of notability?"

"Not much more than what I already know." Yomi shook his head. "But I must tell you, Mukuro, that I don't wish to become directly involved in this... ordeal, whatever comes out of it. Not only would it be terribly annoying to deal with... tracking down some whelp upstart... but I also have no intention of making it appear that we're the police force of Makai, Ningenkai, and Reikai." He took a small cup of tea off of the table and sipped it. "Do you concur, Mukuro?"

"Yes." The woman nodded. "It'll be much easier to send Kurama and Hiei covertly to Koenma and say that they'll be helping him. Kurama probably won't even need to be convinced by you. He's got so many connections in all three worlds, I can't imagine him disregarding the request."

Yomi laughed. "I don't know how you deal with your subordinates, Mukuro, but my men take orders from me. If I order Kurama to take this matter into his own hands, he'll do so." He lowered his head. "And while we're on that subject... Attack."

In a second, Mukuro saw an opening in the adjacent wall turn sideways, and a long green object fly towards her. Acting on pure instinct, she jumped onto the table and slashed into the air, snapping the projectile in two. It fell on the ground, not moving. Mukuro jumped back down onto the floor to examine it. When she realized what it was, she guffawed.

"Still trying to entrap me, Yomi?" she queried. "The feud is supposed to be over, mind you."

Yomi cackled as well. "Yes, yes, but I cannot resist meeting with you without being sure you aren't on your toes. After all, we've tried killing each other countless times in the past." He turned towards the wall, leaving Mukuro to sit down again. "Kurama! Please come in here."

With the section in the wall still open, a medium-built man with green eyes and incredibly long, red hair gingerly stepped inside, bowing to both Yomi and Mukuro. "Forgive me for the attack, Mukuro, but Yomi-sama insisted," he apologized, allowing his lips to curve upwards.

"Not at all." Mukuro smiled. "It almost comforts me to know that Yomi hasn't changed, even in these times. But now, back to the matter at hand." She noticed the section of the wall close as she spoke. "You've no doubt heard everything we've discussed, yes?"

Kurama bobbed his head. "Yes. And you were also correct to note that I would have taken part of the investigation even if my Lord Yomi hadn't ordered me to do so." He inhaled. "I've spent too much time in Makai lately. I would like to immerse myself in human culture again."

"One thing Mukuro and I can always agree on, Kurama, is that neither of us can ever understand your fascination with those creatures." Yomi harrumphed in consternation.

"Do you think you'll be able to find Hiei, Kurama?" Mukuro questioned. "I'm quite lenient with his assignments, so he could honestly be anywhere in Makai or Ningenkai right now. If you need help, I'll be happy to provide it to you."

Kurama waved Mukuro's proposal off. "I know Hiei well enough to be able to guess where he is. But I thank you for the offer nonetheless." He bowed. "If you would be so kind, I would like to have a private word with Yomi-sama."

"Of course." Mukuro stood up. "I have other things to tend to, anyway. It was good to see you again, Kurama." She bowed and turned towards Yomi. "As for you, my eternal rival, it's never too long until our paths cross again, but I bid you farewell all the same." She bowed once more.

Yomi bowed himself. "And I you, Mukuro." A flash of the same red light surrounded Mukuro, and in an instant, she was gone.

Kurama picked up a piece of paper that had fallen from the table and set it back on neatly. "It was good to see Mukuro again. Hiei speaks often of her, but I can never find the time to keep in touch with her on a regular basis," he mused, more to himself than to Yomi.

"You needn't worry. Mukuro and I have spent centuries upon centuries dueling. By now, we no doubt know every last quirk of each other. So what did you want to ask me? Did you think Mukuro knew more than she was telling me? I certainly think she did."

"You are far too quick to judge, Yomi. No, I wanted to ask you how personally involved you plan to get in this matter. Unless absolutely necessary, I'd advise against it. Other demons could look upon you trouncing a new firebrand as a sign of weakness, and I... "

The half-demon was interrupted by Yomi's laughter. "You needn't tell me these things, Kurama. You should know me better than that. I have absolutely no intention of getting any more involved than by sending you out to work with Hiei. If it doesn't explicitly involve the Demon World, then I couldn't possibly care less. I'm sure Mukuro feels the same way; she's just a bit more cautious than I." He lowered his head. "In any event, what are your plans?"

"I'm not entirely sure," Kurama admitted. "Of course, the most obvious concern is to track down Hiei, but I also sent a note to Koenma about a week ago. If his servants work with any efficiency, he should have it by now. There's also Yusuke to worry about. I'll be busy for a while."

Yomi scowled. "That's fine, but I must ask you something. So far, you and Mukuro have confirmed what my allies and contacts have discovered, but information from the enemy itself has been very limited, restricted only to the lowest on the chain of command. Are you really sure this threat is warranted based on such little information?"

"Forgive me, Yomi, but you don't know all the particulars behind this, and I wouldn't dare bore you with every last detail that I _do_ know about. We can just leave it at me thinking that this is indeed a credible threat. As for the lack of informants, all that means is that our enemy is very mysterious, and extremely methodical. He's likely planned every event that's happened so far."

Yomi cogitated for a moment. "Fine. You have your orders then, my second-in-command," he announced in a bit of mock formality. "Find Hiei and eliminate the threat."

Kurama giggled. "I shall do my best, Lord Yomi. Or should I say, 'partner'?" he asked as he exited the room. Yomi considered answering back, but left it at that and sat back down on his chair, content to resume his deep contemplation.

* * *

_One and a half weeks after the attack at Genkai's temple, somewhere in Shinjuku's Skyscraper District... _

Cold: so cold, the nights these past few months. If it weren't for the low humidity, there would've been snow as well, but for now, the coldness and rain themselves were bad enough. Then again, the girl with the metal cane had no one to blame but herself for the shivering frostiness she presently felt at the moment.

The inclement weather had picked up a lot of momentum since she last encountered those thugs back in Kabukicho, and one false step on her part could send her slipping into the growing ponds of sludge and muck surrounding her. Nevertheless, she obliviously waited outside the iron gate of her compound as the security guard slid its lock back and opened it up.

She strolled down a stark hallway into a waiting elevator as the fury of the storm outside faded into muffled rumblings, broken only by her faintly echoing footfalls. The doors closed, and the guard leveled a flat stare at her as he offered her a towel. "Ever heard of an umbrella, Natsuki-san? They keep the rain from soaking you better than a heavy metal cane ever could, y'know."

Natsuki... the cane-wielding, rain-soaked girl... leaned against the wall as she accepted the older man's gift and dried herself off the best she could, her eyes half-closed. "But you can beat up people with a cane better. I think it's a good tradeoff. Besides, I didn't expect the rain to come down like that."

"...I don't want to know." The guard cleared his throat as he pushed the button on the elevator at the end of the hallway for Natsuki's sake. "Anyway, Likka-san has been waiting for you for almost half an hour."

Natsuki nodded her thanks to the security guard and went inside the elevator as soon as its doors opened. "So I'm supposed to be a good girl and be on time for my interrogation, huh?" She smirked wryly as the middle-aged man grunted.

"She went out for a while to get something to eat. She should be back shortly." The guard raised an eyebrow. "And what's your excuse?"

The elevator doors slid open before Natsuki could come up with a witty retort, so she instead opted to go on her merry way. At the fourteenth floor of the building, she came upon yet another deserted hallway, this one in a nauseating pastel blue. At the end of it, Natsuki entered her comparatively Spartan apartment with no further ceremony.

She was half-glad that the inhabitants of her floor had already turned in for the night. She had enough of their conspiratorial whispers, accusing stares, and insinuative gestures that seemed to reproach, "Ah, there she goes again: our ice princess. Well, nobody around here is really sure of who she is. She comes through this part of town every few nights, always running like the demons of hell are hot on her heels, although I've never seen anyone else around her, to be truthful. We stay inside whenever she's around, just in case."

Natsuki shivered as she pushed aside her paranoia and watched the rain pound against the window. "Likka-tan sure picked a bad day to visit; still, it's nice to see her again." She yawned wearily as she made her way towards her bedroom, shedding off her soaking clothes on the way. She yawned and stretched as she picked up a robe and went to have a shower.

Every night she meditated briefly; a helpful act that kept the nightmares at bay. 'But I'm too tired. I probably don't need it.'

And tonight, the velvet darkness just appeared so inviting. Fatigue overwhelmed her, and her eyes slowly drifted shut as she fell upon the silken sheets while the wind howled like a terrified woman... one that seemed to beat upon the shutters of Natsuki's balcony door, pleading for entrance.

* * *

_One week after the attack at Genkai's temple, somewhere within Tokyo City... _

Kurama nodded curtly to the two saluting Bouetai as he gingerly exited the whirling vortex that connected the Human World to the Demon World, his trademark crimson Meiou High School uniform flapping amidst its unseen winds. The pair of Spirit World Police Officers then proceeded to fulfill their final task of sealing the dimensional entryway while the kitsune sauntered towards the egress of the Irima Cave.

The eighteen-year-old had a lot in his mind... his letters to Koenma, his orders from his partner Yomi to find Hiei and eliminate the supposed threat of the so-called Chojin, and the safety of his adoptive family. But for the most part, the disturbing things he had discovered during his visit to the Demon World took precedence over all those matters.

The imbalance of power in the Demon World and its threat against the Human World, the attempt to interconnect the worlds, and the revival of a once-dead kingdom: each and every one of these seemingly separate incidents were all interrelated.

The Meikai incident and the Black Chapter episode were also somewhat interconnected. The members of the Black Book Club... dregs of society who bathed in the blood of demons... were worshippers of the Lord of the Nether World, Yakumo. Sakyo, who gave Sensui the idea of opening the gates that separated the Demon World from the Human World in the first place, was also a worshipper of the Meikai Leader.

Yakumo had long believed himself to be the chosen savior of all the three worlds; to him, he was the Chojin, the Legendary Superman destined to unite and rule over all of Makai, Ningenkai, and Reikai with powers beyond that of even the Legendary S-Levels themselves. He'd be in the theoretical Class-X... the celestial class... possessing the unlimited powers of a god, a demiurge, a creator, and a destroyer rolled into one. Yakumo was the catalyst of all the aforementioned events, but he was fortunately not the true Chojin, as evidenced by his eventual defeat.

Subsequently, an unknown malefactor was now making his presence felt across the three different plains of existence, taking upon himself the monumental task of fulfilling the supposed Legend of the Overfiend. He currently had but one simple intention: to conquer Heaven, Hell, and Earth with his Army of Undead. From there, all the rest of his ambitious objectives would follow.

Meikai was still alive, and its new ruler was the scoundrel just mentioned. He had somehow stolen Yakumo's negative energy after the Meikai Ruler's defeat and was now continuing his predecessor's original plan to invade the three worlds. Many in the Demon World believe that this new menace really was the true Chojin.

Kurama suppressed a shiver in his spine once he finally made it back to civilization, swimming across a sea of faceless humanity with unremitting resolve. His eyes were obscured by his bangs and his feelings were unreadable to everyone but himself.

The thought of having negative energy... "jaki", as Yakumo had called it... concentrated into a single sentient being was truly mind-boggling to the kitsune avatar. A person wielding such destructive force would have to become the devil himself; bereft of all human compassion and feelings to the point where, to him, moral quandaries had lost all meaning, and the complexities of life contain simple, sadistic answers. He'd have to become a veritable "Living Sin" of sorts.

But the true horror of jaki lay not on the beholder but on the fact that it fed on negative, self-destructive emotions and evil intentions with a vampire's fervor: it was the only type of spirit energy that gained more strength as the suffering of its designated... preferably innocent... victim increased. It was the embodiment of Anti-Karma, where misdeeds and crimes against another would not be punished, but instead rewarded with potent, unlimited power.

'Note to self: Any further elucidations and clarifications must be done in person, I believe. I have to talk to Koenma himself about this Chojin business one of these days. But first thing's first...' Kurama mused as he made his way into the nearest train station after a brisk, fifteen-minute walk on the people-congested road. He knew his priorities; he had to investigate the supposed Demon Sword himself to fully understand its nature and its role in what may become a three-world war, Lord Inari forbid.

However, talking to Koenma remained Kurama's second-highest priority; although he assured Yomi that Mukuro hadn't the faintest idea of what was going on, the half-youko was quite certain that Koenma Daio knew more than he let on.

The teenager's exhaustive reflections quickly evaporated as he made his way into the ticket booth of the train station. 'It's about time I got home and had a nice, long rest. My head is about to burst with all these thoughts.' Later on, he silently rode his designated train as he attempted to stop himself from thinking about anything else other than getting home to his adoptive mother and stepfamily.

To Kurama's eyes, the people before him moved with the frenetic pace of a bee swarm, the clouds above transformed into living puffs of nebulous white smoke blown away by nonexistent hurricane winds, the shadows gradually swallowed the cosmopolitan jungle, and the sky slickly dimmed as their part of the world shied away from the setting sun. His shoulders slumped as he closed his eyes, and he didn't dare move a muscle until the PA system blared his stop. He mutely exited the station, his body striding on automatic pilot but his pulse quickening as he neared his human domicile one step at a time.

After Kurama arrived at the Minamino-Hatenaka residence, he felt everything around him grind to a halt: the churning clouds, the winds of time, the blinking of the artificial lights at the onset of twilight, and even the rotation of the earth slowed to a snail's crawl.

He took a whiff of the familiar aroma of his dwelling for eighteen years, espying the cherry blossom tree he used to play with as a boy, remembering the occasional visits that his junior high sweetheart, Maya Kitajima, gave him, and treasuring the more recent memories he had of his foster father and his namesake brother, Shuichi Hatenaka.

He took out his keys and opened the door. Even though none of his family had arrived to welcome him back, he savored the ambiance of the empty house before him regardless. The slightly ruffled pillows on the living room couch; the crackling static of the television screen; the off-center slippers of his mother, stepfather, and stepbrother; the empty shoe racks; the faint smell of detergent and dishwashing soap; and the freshly bustled table set his mind at ease and made him savor his not-so-lonely alone time. 'Ah, I just missed them. I wanted to surprise them by coming home early, but it looks like the joke is on me.'

Kurama went straight to the refrigerator and opened the top bin. As he suspected, the freezer contained no food. 'They must have run out of supplies and went to the supermarket as a family to buy groceries. They probably ate out as well. I guess it couldn't be helped, then.'

After taking care to check that all of the household appliances were properly turned off, Kurama went straight to his room at the second floor, changed into something more comfortable, lay on his bed, and stared at the off-white ceiling with fluttering, tired eyes.

His surroundings blurred into darkness before long... or at least what could be passed for darkness by merely closing one's eyes, because he'd long ago experienced gloom beyond what his shut eyelids could ever offer. Out of habit, he took stock of his situation even in his half-asleep condition, idly observing that his skin felt clammier than the underside of his tongue and his body had the subtle mobility of a suit of armor. It might take a few hours before he could even lift a finger, much less stand on his own two feet, but he fully expected this eventuality.

He yawned and rubbed his eyes as he struggled to get into a more relaxed position. However, his mind had other ideas. Lots of ideas, in fact... like wondering if he were suffering from multidimensional jetlag even though no jets were involved in his jumping to and fro the different plains of reality. Plus, the forever stormy Demon World had no measures of time based on the rotation or revolution of the world.

Then, much to the chagrin of his demonic alter ego, Kurama's thought processes started to become a lot more desultory than normal... or at least what constituted as normal for a millennia-old being... with some of them resembling actual human thought instead of his youko self's systematic schemes. Humans didn't think in complete sentences or ideas; instead, they thought in fragments of loosely interconnected memories and buried knowledge.

To wit, Kurama went from thinking about jetlag and its impossible association with multidimensional travel to Kuwabara's Dimension Sword that could cut through space, which was also the natural ability of Mukuro, which then reminded him of Mukuro's agent, Hiei, and his black-and-white bushy hair that looked like it was on fire, to remembering how much it hurt to be bombed by a homicidal stalker with stringy black hair and a face mask, which made him glad that he could create demonic mimosa plants that could murder people, which in turn had him wonder if he could develop killer triffids like the ones he saw in a old movie once, which then took him back to a time when he used to watch movies with his childhood sweetheart Maya while ignoring the "pink elephant" fact that they were on a date yet claiming they were together "as best friends", and so on.

The youko inside Shuichi Minamino's body wanted to tear the human's brain out from his eye sockets and eat it raw with a dash of coriander just to make the inane, nonsensical procession of redundant notions stop once and for all. To the silver-haired fox demon's mortification, the preposterous, stream-of-consciousness gobbledygook continued long after Shuichi's self-awareness ceased and his rapid-eye movement sleep began.

* * *

_Three weeks after the attack at Genkai's temple, in the Spirit World... _

After a few more moments, the three shinigami that Koenma summoned to commence his meeting with Yusuke and Keiko arrived. Among the trio, the black-garbed Ayame was the most familiar ferry-girl to Keiko because she'd seen her numerous times with Botan during Shinobu Sensui's reign of terror and the Makai Tournament after it, followed by the somewhat familiar Hinageshi, whom she had espied a couple of times at Genkai's temple during the Nether World's attempts at conquering both the Human World and the Spirit World.

She couldn't, for the life of her, tell who the little shinigami girl of about ten to twelve years of age was, though. That was the reason why her interest was piqued as soon as the young lass moved in front of her, smiled, bowed, and reached for her hand. "It's nice to finally meet Yusuke-niichan's girlfriend! I knew I made the correct choice when I approved of your relationship with him!"

Keiko brushed her short hair back... the hairstyle that even Yusuke admitted to suit her best... and shook the little girl's hand with a crooked smile and eyebrows that formed a steeple-like shape. "I-It's nice to meet you to, um..."

"I'm Sayaka! I'm sure big brother has told you everything about me by now!" Sayaka beamed with closed eyes and a contented expression. Behind the little girl, Yusuke conspiratorially mimed to Keiko, 'Humor Sayaka for now! Please!' with an apologetic chopping motion using his left hand and a tug on an imaginary noose over his neck using his right hand. A throbbing vein subsequently popped up on the sixteen-year-old ghost girl's forehead with a subtle squelch.

Koenma cleared his throat. "That's Sayaka. She used to be an earthbound spirit with tremendous spiritual power who almost caused the death of a boy she liked, but with the help of Yusuke and Botan, her abilities are now being used for far more charitable purposes. In fact, Yusuke did such a good job in converting her bad karma into good karma that she didn't even need to go through the Purgatorial Sector for spiritual cleansing. She'll also be the one to bring you two back to Ningenkai later on because I'll be talking to both Botan and Kenshin after this meeting."

"Actually, before we got here, we four chatted about Botan's little misadventure in the afterlife as she rescued Keiko from becoming an amnesiac ghost zombie." Yusuke rubbed his nose while pointedly ignoring the piggyback-riding Sayaka behind him and the glowering Keiko at his side. "Hey, wait. What about my mission in guarding the Demon Sword? Aren't I the one who's supposed to help Kenshin keep it safe and stuff?"

Koenma opened his usually shut eyes and stared at the inquisitive boy with clear and sharp brown irises. "I hope you don't take this the wrong way, Yusuke, but I'm reassigning that responsibility to Botan for the time being. You should tell her that as soon as we're finished with this meeting. Because of what happened in your recent fight with Rando, you might just compromise that particular assignment as well."

Yusuke flinched and recoiled at Koenma's words, which Sayaka took as her cue to float away from her distraught big brother. The gravity of the situation had again reasserted itself in the course of the conversation. "It's about that stupid Kugai technique that Rando infected me with, isn't it?"

Koenma nodded slowly with a downtrodden stare at the floor, his lips constricting around his magical pacifier as he mulled over Yusuke's remaining options. "You need to ask for Genkai's diagnosis concerning the long-term effects of that martial arts technique on your body and soul as soon as possible, because she's a true expert when it comes to such matters. I don't want to give you any half-baked information about the World of Suffering, so it's always best to consult with a specialist first and foremost. Besides, I believe that reviving Keiko will keep your hands full for quite a while, at the very least."

"So it's possible?" Keiko queried, then covered her mouth, surprised at her behavior and for interjecting herself into a conversation that she initially didn't feel like participating in; she possessed sufficient commonsense to understand that someone couldn't go back to life... or in her case, wake up from a deep coma... just because he wanted it bad enough and it was for the sake of a loved one. Not even if he had connections with the Lord of the Dead himself.

She excused herself for her brashness, but she couldn't help but venture, "It's not yet too late for me? I can still get well? I can still wake up from my coma? I can still see my family again and live a normal life after this nightmare? My loved ones won't have to go through a protracted, agonizing torture that might never end? I won't have to suffer any brain damage or residual effects from the coma after I'm awake?"

She bit her thumb once she realized that she'd said too much. "I mean, I'm sorry for getting ahead of myself. Whether or not I wake up healthy isn't any of your concern, Mister Koenma, but the mere chance that I can recover from this is... I have no words! Thank you for helping us out once again! We owe you so much already for resurrecting Yusuke and Genkai-baasan multiple times! Thank you so very much!"

Despite knowing that he'd hate himself later for acting so impolitely, Koenma looked away from Keiko's bright-eyed and eager face, his toddler arms clasped behind his back as he took his sweet time to return to the chair behind his desk. Each one of his footfalls reverberated across the room for an excruciatingly awkward eternity.

In the end, Koenma opted to ignore Keiko's optimistic outburst, choosing rudeness over sadistic frankness this time around to handle the unfortunate circumstances. He then awakened all five of his guests from their troubling and self-conscious reverie by beckoning, "Hinageshi, let's start the meeting with you first. Tell us the differences between jaki, reiki, youki, and other types of spiritual energy."

Her trembling hands clasped at her abdomen in pseudo-prayer, Hinageshi's eyes darted back and forth the blank-faced Koenma, the pale-faced Keiko, and the red-faced Yusuke as the teenaged boy prepared to sock Reikai's childlike emperor around like an authoritarian father who was teaching his insolent son the value of respect.

The rose-haired shinigami sporting an untamable cowlick and shrine maiden clothes tried her best to speak out, but couldn't because her frightened voice took hold of her uvula and never let go. In spite of everything, Keiko somehow recovered just in time to firmly hold her irate boyfriend back and shake her head at him in disapproval.

However, Yusuke could not be stopped from slamming his balled-up fist at Koenma's table with a hard, sawdust-filled crunch that nearly snapped the wooden furniture in two. The gesture caused Sayaka to hide behind Ayame's kimono, while the wincing Hinageshi wished that Yusuke's blow contained enough force to make the floor split in two and swallow her whole.

"Yusuke, please! We've had enough of this nonsense. Don't forget that Koenma Daio is doing everything he can to help us out as well as save the Human World from harm, so we should let that issue drop for now and listen to what his shinigami has to say," Keiko stated with a steady, unwavering voice that belied her trembling lips as she ultimately let the shaking, hyperventilating Yusuke go. "Okay, Hinageshi-chan. Please continue."

After resisting the urge to faint or vomit ectoplasm, ichor, or whatever it was that death gods regurgitate, Hinageshi took out her entire ream of notes from her evidently padded clothes and detailed their contents to all those present. "The fundamental types of ki that every spirit detective is familiar with is reiki and youki. They're classified quite plainly. Reiki is used by gifted humans and the agents of Reikai, while youki is used by the more powerful youkai inhabitants of Makai."

The girl flipped through a sheet. "They're basically the different types of the same life-giving energy that keeps the mortal realm in perfect harmony. Even Sensui Shinobu's Sei Kou Ki, which is believed to be an evolved version of youki and reiki, is still the same type of energy. It is the universal life force that can be tapped into by any sufficiently skilled or talented entity and used in a multitude of beneficial or destructive ways... but you already know all of this, I'm guessing. Sorry about that. Let me skip a couple of pages, then."

* * *

**To be Continued...**

_Next: Who is Natsuki? _

Parts of this chapter are credited to the following individuals: Danyal Herder for the Mukuro-Yomi scenes, Amanda Nable for parts of the original "Mirror of Light and Darkness" teaser, and Eric James for parts of his unfinished "Shadows of the Night" fic. Also, the "Complexities of life contain simple, sadistic answers" paraphrase was taken from the ever-hilarious 8-Bit Theater by Brian Clevinger. Many thanks, guys.

_May kailangan pa ba akong sabihin?_  
**Abdiel**


	21. Chapter 20

**Demon Sword**

A Yuyu Hakusho/Rurouni Kenshin Crossover Fan Fiction by Chester Castañeda

Original Concept by Chad Yang

Wow. Three plotlines at the same time; huzzah!

_Disclaimer: Yuyu Hakusho is the rightful property of Yoshihiro Togashi, Shueisha, Fuji TV, and St. Pierrot. Rurouni Kenshin is the rightful property of Nobuhiro Watsuki and Sony. This disclaimer also covers all the other copyrighted material that are far too many to mention here. Don't sue me please, I'm very poor._

* * *

**Chapter 20: Smile Bomb (Part 2)**

* * *

_One week after the attack at Genkai's temple, at the Minamino-Hatenaka residence... _

Kurama blinked his jade-green eyes repeatedly, staring at the familiar person before him. "Kuronue? What are you doing here?" he asked in puzzlement.

Kurunue just smiled faintly and handed him a mirror. Kurama briefly glanced down at the reflective object and was startled to find nothing but a black void instead of his own features staring back at him.

The mirror broke as a streak of light played on the surface of the crack. From either side of the glass formed two images, one of Kurama's youko-kitsune form, and the other of his human form. Both wore a blank stare, seemingly lifeless. Further cracks began to surface, forming a web of shattered light across the mirror.

Soon, a beautiful aura of golden-green light shone upon the web-cracked glass, its pieces shattering, turning into a wondrous shower of glitters that played with the variegated luminescence like a flourish of rainbow pollen in the pale moonlight.

Slowly, surely, the glittering mass of brilliance dissolved like silvery mercury into the mirror's frame. The liquid reformed and showed a merged image unlike any Kurama had ever seen before. He had green eyes with a golden radiance; they were large and kind. The hair sported a silky-red mane with silver highlights on its strands; the face was that of a man with a silent strength and comforting presence as he stared back with a contented smile.

His eyes glinted as if to acknowledge Kurama's presence, even though he was just an apparition, and the aura surrounding him made him look more surreal than anything else.

Kurama's eyesight hazed as the vision changed again, this time looking as if it were a whirlpool of water cascading across the mirror's surface.

The third phantom was even more disconcerting than the previous one. It was an image of a faceless girl, naked, with bruises around her wrists and neck. She was shivering: cold, afraid, alone. She let out a silent scream as the bruises on her body began to bleed. Crimson tears of blood... and rubies! Deep red rubies that fell to the floor as she cried blood.

Again, Kurama's vision blurred, which made him lose sight of the mirror in his hand. As his sight eventually cleared, he saw the image of the girl on the reflective surface get slowly swallowed by the shadows around her. Soon, her face zoomed in, half of it covered in darkness while the other half covered in light. The darkness and light seemed to perfectly conceal her identity from the fox's confused gaze.

"I don't understand, Kuronue. What does this mean?" He looked up to find Kuronue slowly fading into the ether, his purple eyes merging into the unknowable blackness.

"Kuronue?" he called out, then looked at the mirror in his hand once again. His irises froze into place as the hazy picture began to clear, revealing the golden-green eyes of before, soon changing hue into a azure color; colored like the swirling haze from a paintbrush plunged into a glass of clear water. There was hopelessness in those eyes... eyes that reflected the same blank, marionette-like stare that Kurama's two images sported a while ago.

* * *

_Three weeks after the attack at Genkai's temple, in the Spirit World... _

"Okay, aside from reiki, youki, and jaki, we have other subtypes of ki as well, such as shouki, which is the poisonous and miasmic byproduct of pure, concentrated jaki, and kenki, which is the fighting spirit found in swordsmen like Himura Kenshin-san, the Guardian of the Demon Sword. Even the terms sakki, which pertains to murderous intent, and yuuki, which pertains to courage, have the word 'ki' attached to them.

"Meanwhile, touki refers to fighting spirit in general, which is just another subtype of energy that reiki, youki, and jaki all fall upon. Come to think of it, the demon known as Matuoka Suzuki uses different kinds of ki as well, so this is what he meant by 'spectrum'. Even blood has a type of ki in it called chiki, which is what your opponent, Rando, used to power up his Kyuuketsuki Kakuto Ryu.

"Then it gets much more complicated. Across the world, we've heard of variations of the very same type of ki such as chakra or tantric energy that roots from the Hindu religion, which our Buddhist world has a lot of ties with. Traditionally, they originate from the seven primary access points and three hundred sixty-five other access points where you can harness the biophysical energy of prana, but for the purpose of simplification, chakra and prana both refer to the Hindi way of accessing spirit energy through your body.

"Even deities such as Koenma Daio or Amida Nyorai and shinigami like myself have our own variations of spirit energy, and they come in the form of reiatsu. We have warrior shinigami from another realm who even use this energy to develop their own offensive capabilities. They shouldn't be confused with the Reikai Tokubetsu Bouetai and their defensive, energy-sealing approach to spiritual combat.

"Basically, reiatsu is the purest and most divine form of spirit energy right next to Sensui Shinobu's angelic Sei Kou Ki power, because it's used by celestial entities and death gods alike. Oh, and I believe even Genkai-shihan was capable of using holy energy during her prime, which was also how she managed to collect a lifetime's worth of power into the Spirit Light Wave Gem that's currently inside you, Yusuke-kun! And don't even get me started with the complicated power of Nen, because we'll be here all day!"

Yusuke shook his head clear as Hinageshi enumerated the different kinds of ki in existence. He felt as if he were in school. His butt was already itching from his seat. If he could have his way, then he would've instead floated around the enormous room since everyone was, at that point, in spirit form anyway, but for some reason, gravity reasserted itself within the confines of the Spirit World. All the spirits that weren't in will-o'-the-wisp or hitodama mode were immediately forced to walk on their own two feet, which was a drag for any self-respecting ghost. Only the ferry-girls were allowed to still fly via oars.

Perhaps once upon a time, the gargantuan and short-tempered Enma Daio was irritated of having souls float around his face like flies, so he decided one day that from then on, the rules of gravity were applicable in the Spirit World. Yusuke shook his head; even as an S-Class half-demon, he could never have the power to make an entire world bow down to his whims (without the use of wanton violence and superior firepower), so he had to admit that deities like Enma Daio were much more powerful in that regard, at least.

* * *

_One and a half weeks after the attack at Genkai's temple, somewhere in Shinjuku's Skyscraper District... _

Natsuki practically felt the thumps that reverberated on the floor. Then, the room was filled with brightness that blinded her. Darkness quickly returned as the door was closed, and yet again, the sound of footsteps could be heard.

"L-Likka-tan?" she probed, but she knew better. A scream began to build at the back of her throat.

"Where are you?" he whispered in Chinese.

"No," she whimpered, straining to break free of the bonds that suddenly appeared on her wrists, fastening her into place. 'Please. Not him.'

All of a sudden, heavy hands grabbed her, beating her cruelly. Her clothes were torn to shreds, her soul filled with despair. He grabbed her by the waist harshly, and she bit her lip to still her cry of pain, the coppery taste filling her mouth. She knew that he would enjoy it all the more if she released even a cry or just a sound.

Desperately, she tried to detach herself from the pain, for staying was to lose her sanity.

She looked down to the child curled into a fetal position from below her, feeling pity, crying for the pain she knew the girl experienced, knowing that this would not be the last time he would come. Every time he climaxed, she'd die a little more; she would do virtually anything to deaden the emotions that churned within her. Rage suffused her being as she glared hatefully at him, feeling helpless and hating the fear that he brought with him.

"Father. No...!"

"Too late. No one's here but us."

She resisted the pull to return to her body, knowing that the unbearable pain would once more be hers to experience.

Through the eyes of the youngster, she saw a flash of silver glinting in the dark, and unable to stop, she emitted a piercing scream of terror.

Natsuki's wild cat eyes snapped wide open with sapphire terror, beads of sweat rolling off her body.

"No," she sniveled, clawing out of the sheets that just a moment ago felt cool to the touch. They were now like silken bonds, trapping her with her own wretchedness. She wrapped her arms around her body, seemingly trying to ward off her fear.

"Not again." She stuffed her fist into her mouth, stifling the sobs, but the twin diamonds spilled down her cheeks regardless, unchecked.

* * *

_Three weeks after the attack at Genkai's temple, in the Spirit World... _

"I'll be as brief as I possibly can, Yusuke-kun, because Koenma-sama still wants me to run several other errands," Hinageshi self-consciously assured to the bored-looking and distracted Yusuke, rousing him from his unrelated chain of thought. "Please listen carefully to what I'm about to say, because this information concerns you as well."

"Fine, fine. Just get on with it. I want to get this done and over with as soon as possible myself." Yusuke waved off as he slouched on his chair, but he immediately straightened up after Keiko slapped his knee in admonition.

The chairs were actually Ayame's idea; she figured that it was going to be a long lecture, so the gothic-looking ferry-girl fetched some spare chairs for herself, Sayaka, Hinageshi, Yusuke, and Keiko, arranging the seats across Koenma's desk the best she could. Meanwhile, Koenma himself sat at his usual perch, his chubby little arms crossed while he listened to each of the speaker's designated spiels with narrowed, slanted, and fox-like eyes.

"You yourself have seen with your own eyes the power of jaki, Urameshi Yusuke-kun. It could destroy worlds, rebuild kingdoms, and resurrect comrades. Meikai's king, Yakumo, was so ambitious that he wanted to conquer both Enma Daio's Kakuri and Izanagi no Mikoto's Yomi, which would allow him to become the supreme ruler of the afterlife." By "Yomi" and "Kakuri", Hinageshi of course meant two of the seven great hells.

"The long and difficult power struggle that raged between Meikai and Reikai eventually led to the sealing of the Meikai's destructive energy into the Meikai Crystal, the execution of Yakumo and his devilish minions, and having Reikai help with the upkeep of Yomi, the spirits of dead demons, and so on. For all intents and purposes, Enma Daio became the undisputed ruler of the afterlife in every shape and form."

"Yeah, yeah; I've heard all about Izanami and Enma when I was just in grade school, Hinageshi. I've never heard of Yakumo or Meikai, though; they sound like they were things written by a seven year old by mixing 'Reikai' and 'Makai' together or something." Yusuke chuckled to himself despite the straight-faced reaction of everyone else in the room, which prompted him to choke down his laughter and ask, "Where exactly are you going with this report of yours anyway?"

The redhead unthinkingly adjusted her hakama. "Jaki is the energy used by the most corrupt and twisted beings known in the three worlds. If reiki is the life-giving power of the Spirit World and youki is the destructive force of the Demon World, jaki is the essence of decay, bad karma, and sin. Jaki is the power that Meikai used to have as the guardians of Yomi before they rebelled against Izanami no Mikoto and Enma Daio. Only a few beings ever had complete control over jaki like Yakumo did, and the Chojin is apparently one of them. The negative energy connection between Yakumo and the Chojin is undeniable."

* * *

_One week after the attack at Genkai's temple, at the Minamino-Hatenaka residence... _

Kurama was roused from his strange dream once he felt someone shaking him rather strongly. 'Someone's in my room?'

The gears in his head began to snap back into place as he assessed the situation. He resoundingly blinked as a familiar blue-haired divinity of death greeted him enthusiastically.

"Hey!"

"Hmmm?" he mumbled incoherently.

"Hello, Kurama-sama!" the person before him cheered cheerfully.

"Hello," he politely and automatically greeted, then swiftly sat up, his eyes sweeping past the open window that the intruder obviously used to get in. He made a move to close the window, but was stopped by Botan, who was regarding him with a thoughtful expression.

Kurama grew uneasy underneath her probing gaze. "Botan? What are you doing here in the middle of the night?" he asked, his question simple-sounding, but his tone of voice gently insinuating, "Why here?" as well. He was curious as to why Botan first came to him, and not to Yusuke or Kuwabara; this sudden shift in her modus operandi made him feel like he was left out of the loop somehow.

"Koenma-sama wishes to see you now," Botan replied straightforwardly, almost curtly, summoning her oak oar and hurriedly sitting upon it. "Get on," she urged.

"I was planning on talking to him, but I wanted to do it later. The Demon Sword..." Kurama started, but Botan cut him off with an abrupt swing of her head; there was something panicked and wild in her movement.

There was an expectant pause as a visibly flustered Botan appeared to struggle with her choice of words. After a few more minutes of awkward contemplation, she revealed, "You can check out the Youtou Shinnoken later. It's... in good hands, and it's not about to go anywhere anytime soon. Right now, it's much more important for you see Koenma Daio." Her fierce, pinkish eyes implored Kurama to accept her invitation without any further questions.

Yielding to the ferry-girl's unsaid request for the time being, Kurama stood, his bed sheets slipping away, and moved towards her, but stopped after hearing her next words.

"Kurama, I know you're pretty and all, but do you have to admire yourself even at night?" she teased.

He froze, and swiftly looked at his hand, which, unconsciously, was clenching a broken hand mirror.

"Um, Kurama? Are you all right?"

* * *

_Three weeks after the attack at Genkai's temple, in the Spirit World... _

"So... Yakumo is the Chojin?" Yusuke ventured as he scratched his jaw ponderously. "That kind of makes sense. Hopefully, now that I've gained my ancestral powers and shit, then maybe I can finish him off twice as fast as before."

Keiko raised an eyebrow at that. "You can barely fight off that kabuki-looking demon, and Botan told me he's at least two levels below you. Don't be so arrogant." The brown-haired girl rolled her eyes towards Ayame before stopping altogether, realizing where she had seen the woman in the black kimono before.

'Oh no.' She managed to keep her shock to herself, in any case.

"No, you don't understand. We here in the Spirit World have good reason to believe that the resurrected Yakumo you finished off was a test dummy or guinea pig of a far more powerful entity," Hinageshi divulged, which made Keiko pinch the eye-rolling Yusuke on the cheek in order to keep him from retorting, "Well, _that_ never happened before."

Hinageshi continued. "The reports that the Spirit World had gathered in between the Nether World's assault on the Human World and your eventual return to the earthly realm after wandering around the Demon World suggest that the Chojin resurrected Yakumo using the power of jaki, knowing full-well that Yakumo will use his newfound powers to revive his dark kingdom, wreak havoc across the Spirit World by making the River Styx overflow, and steal the largest repository of negative energy in existence. The Meikai Crystal is rumored to contain centuries-old bad karma that date all the way back to the creation of Japan care of Izanagi's Ame-no-Nuhoko."

'Huh. Good thing that ball of evil didn't wake up my demon blood or turned me into a silhouette on the pavement, or else the shit would've really hit the fan.' This time around, Hinageshi had Yusuke's complete and undivided attention.

"Wait a minute. I thought Yakumo was revived because of all the sins of the modern world or some shit, and not because _yet another_ all-powerful being popped out of nowhere and decided to use that simpleminded bad guy like a puppet of sorts. The white-haired old man said so himself while he was kicking my ass with his retarded amount of pink explodey energy. Also, I made him blow up along with his crystal ball of evilness. I mean, you were there too when he was making his 'You're doomed! Mwahahaha!' speech, Hinageshi! You should know what I'm talking about!"

"Yusuke-kun, the point here is that Yakumo was duped and used in order to retrieve the Meikai Crystal, and he did just that with him none the wiser, which explains his boasts and claims. Granted, you and the other Reikai Tantei were there to apprehend him, but the Chojin still got what he wanted."

Hinageshi struggled to not let her ream of research notes scatter all over the floor. "The Chojin may have even absorbed the unleashed power of the shattered Meikai Crystal unto himself, which explains why he's been hard at work reviving Reikai's worst enemies ever."

* * *

_One and a half weeks after the attack at Genkai's temple, at the Shinjuku Yamabuki High School... _

The two-year-old Tokyo Metropolitan Shinjuku Yamabuki High School wasn't only renowned for its westernized sensibilities when it came to not requiring its students to wear standard-issue uniforms; it was even more famous for its no-class credit system and Information Technology course. For a government-run high school, it was quite diverse when it came to the subjects it taught, and it even sported some of Japan's most state-of-the-art utilities and technologies.

The occidental-based way the school went about its academics suited Natsuki just fine, especially considering the fact that she had a couple of nightly extracurricular activities. Considering that she'd been getting more and more visits from "random" thugs only served as a confirmation to her that she was getting closer to her goal. She'd sooner or later get the answers she needed from the man that ruined her life.

Natsuki's files, news clippings, photographs, and research concerning nationwide crime still awaited her. The modus operandi of one particular killer really stood out to her. 'However, first thing's first.' Even though quite a few students in the newly established school had already quit before graduation, she had no intention of treading the same path as they did.

It was tough juggling her student life with her other life, but as long as she could pass her tests, manage her time, and make something out of herself, then that was already a measure of revenge against her... inner demons. She would never give the monster in her dreams the satisfaction of letting his slimy influence take her to the brink of despair. 'But I still want to know why...'

There was one problem, though. There was no way in hell Natsuki would ever go to the library with the insane chimpanzee beside her. Likka could make a zoo in the middle of an earthquake sound quiet. The only way the cane-wielding, short-haired tomboy could get enough peace of mind to study was by doing it at home, in between her other hobbies.

"Tsuki-chan? Are you okay?" a short, jade-eyed young woman sporting greenish-black tresses, a single braided pigtail that reached all the way to her back, and a blue school uniform inquired. "You kind of look out of sorts."

Natsuki offered a wan smile to her friend before she moved away and hastily wiped the bits of rheum crust on her reddened, tired eyes. The sandman had struck again, but she sure wished that he struck later rather than sooner. If possible, she also hoped that he'd never strike ever again, considering what she had to deal with on a nightly basis.

Her nightmares had recurred a lot less regularly for the past three years thanks to her own self-sufficiency, but for some reason, they'd now reappeared in more regular bursts and even became stronger and clearer than ever before. She had a really sickening feeling about this disgusting development, but she reckoned that since she was able to survive against such circumstances before, she should do so again. 'On the other hand, it's easier said than done.'

On the other hand, Natsuki would never allow her inopportune fate to befall anyone. She clutched her metal cane tightly, its lightweight construction belying its durability when it came to protecting herself from all sorts of bogeymen at night. 'I've escaped my bogeyman long ago... so why am I trying to look for it again? Am I mad? Do I want revenge or catharsis? Sometimes, I don't seem to know what I want.'

Noticing her jumpy, bouncier-than-a-ball classmate's expectant glare as she herself shambled across campus with overhanging arms, Natsuki reassured, "I'm perfectly fine, Likka-tan." She blinked after getting a real good look at the lively girl before her. "But what about _you_? Why are you wearing a uniform?"

Likka looked at Natsuki as though the sleep-deprived student just said something adorably idiotic. "We're in school, silly."

It was now Natsuki's turn to give Likka the same look. "We don't have a school uniform at Shinjuku Yamabuki, you weirdo!"

Likka wagged her finger and clucked her tongue. "No, the rules here state that we can wear whatever we want. Since we're at school, I decided to wear a school uniform."

Natsuki felt the onset of a migraine rush forth her cranium as she grunted at the utter inanity of the conversation.

"Your incoherent whines will not make my logic invalid," Likka teased as she tossed her braid around like a whip, shook her head in defiance of Natsuki's vexation, and parodied her best-friend-in-the-whole-entire-world's speech pattern in one fell swoop.

"Your own logic invalidates itself," Natsuki rejoined, somewhat glad that she could forget that episode she'd just suffered through last night by hanging out with a complete lunatic.

Theirs wasn't exactly a unique story: a typical loner who tolerated having a sprightly-to-the-point-of-annoyance female that appeared to be one teacup short of a set to orbit around her because, by goodness, the girl meant well.

If anything, it was trite to the point of being a statistic, although it had the added twist of Natsuki being a half-Chinese foreigner that no self-respecting, naturally xenophobic Japanese person could relate to and Likka being... Likka. It was hard to explain their situation, and the only way people could appreciate where the young foreign national was coming from was to walk a mile on her shoes.

Natsuki wondered what it was that drew Likka to her so closely. As she pondered that point, a vertical drain pipe blindsided her from out of nowhere.

"And people call me absentminded! Jeez!" Likka pulled the dizzied, beet-red Natsuki up and handed her a handkerchief. "You're worse than Uncle Jiji when it comes to having your head up in the clouds! You should take some time staying down on earth with the rest of us mortals before flying up to dreamland again, Tsuki-chan!"

"Stop calling me that," Natsuki murmured as she rubbed her nose, contemplating if absentmindedness was contagious.

Likka bit her lip. "That's what Uncle Jiji says too."

If only the ground could swallow her whole. Natsuki could feel the stares of her fellow students all around her; more than usual, at least. To Likka, she asked, "Where'd you get that skimpy uniform anyway? I hope you didn't order a custom-made outfit from Kabukicho; I wouldn't want you to get molested in the middle of a train or anything."

"Oh, stop being such a prude! This is my junior high school uniform. It's amazing how it still fits! I think this getup suits me quite well. The boys certainly loved it, although the girls, as usual, hates the fact that I'm still the same size I was when I was fourteen! To tell you the truth, I always look good in dark blue, for some reason," Likka observed as she spun around to admire herself from front to back, her pigtail almost hitting Natsuki's eye.

In Natsuki's point of view, her loopy friend's pirouette made her appear like a puppy chasing her tail.

"Don't give me that look, Tsuki-chan! You couldn't possibly argue that my special outfit today is worse than my special outfit a year ago!" Likka contended defensively.

Even Natsuki had to admit that the raven-haired cuckoo's statement was true; Likka could never top the stunt she pulled during their freshman year, where she wore a full-on ninja costume that looked more like Meiji-era pajamas than actual shinobi gear. "Bringing your collection of knives to school was a nice touch."

"They're called kunai, my fine Chinese friend! That stunt was my defining moment, and I honestly believe that I'm the first person in our school to really test the limits of our lack of a dress code. Forget those delinquent losers wearing Yankee hairstyles and leather jackets; I was the one who really lived on the edge!" Likka preened... for some reason.

"I'm just amazed that you weren't suspended. And that it happened a few more times afterward," Natsuki informed; she considered scouting for avenues of escape, but she needed to talk about something serious with Likka, and she had no choice but to sift through the stupidity before getting something worthwhile and profound from the madcap misfit.

Granted, Natsuki's friendship with such a complete nut was questionable, but to her, it was a matter of convenience. She knew that the outrageous female was a total loony from the get go, but at the very least _she'd_ be comparatively viewed by others as less of a freak by having Likka around. However, there were also times when she thought that people viewed her as _ more_ of a freak because of their supposed companionship.

Meanwhile, the ever-clueless moron demonstrated that no piece of scenery would ever be left uneaten while she was around as she worked herself up to an endless storm of catastrophic melodrama. "Alas, because of how well the ninja outfit went, my wearing of an actual school uniform to commemorate my crowning glory turned out to be nothing more than a pale imitation of my awesomeness. I really should have reserved the best for last. Maybe during graduation. Such a shame."

* * *

_Three weeks after the attack at Genkai's temple, in the Spirit World... _

"Why haven't we heard of this Chojin character before?" To everyone's surprise, it was actually Keiko who asked that question, her personal interest over the identity of this overlord that caused her to become comatose significantly piqued. "You say that he uses energy made from sin and bad karma, but how is he able to harness that power exactly? More importantly, what made him decide to strike now of all times? What spurred him into action?"

"That's actually an interesting story, Keiko-chan. You see, the issue with the Legend of the Chojin is that no one is sure who the Chojin is supposed to be. It could've been Yakumo for all we know, or Sensui Shinobu if he only hadn't gotten a terminal illness, or Yusuke's ancestral mazoku father if he hadn't stopped eating humans. Any being powerful enough to rule any of the three worlds could be potential candidates for this title, so Enki could be considered the Chojin as well.

"There are even reports of a Chojin-like creature existing during the Sengoku era, and he was formed by combining countless demons into the body of one human. Killing this demon was rumored to be near impossible, but he was eventually defeated by a band of unknown adventurers composed of a half-demon like Yusuke-kun, a priestess, a monk, a demon slayer, and some other tagalongs."

"Are you sure you're not confusing the 'Journey to the West' legend with this Chojin legend of yours, Hinageshi?" a doubtful Yusuke queried, but the excited-to-the-point-of-tittering ferry-girl was mostly unaffected by the half-demon's disbelief.

"Well, the bottom line here is that the Legend of the Chojin is comparable to Tibetan Buddhism's search for the Dalai Lama, Judaism's search for the Messiah, or Shinto Buddhism's search for Susanoo's descendants. You shouldn't expect anything less from an entity that's destined to unite the three worlds of Reikai, Makai, and Ningenkai together! He comes out every three thousand years, and he's long overdue for a comeback by about several years already!"

"Is his appearance a good thing or a bad thing, though? I mean, the Chojin basically uses energy made out of evil, right?" Keiko inquired as she struggled to understand the motivations and modus operandi of Yusuke's new enemy; a formidable task for a sixteen year old, to be sure.

"Is the Chojin supposed to be an anomaly of nature that's going to destroy all of creation because of the wrongness of his being? Or are the worlds he's supposed to unite corrupted, and he's only doing his job to restore the balance of the cosmos or something?"

"Good and evil are concepts humans use to sometimes describe things they couldn't understand, Yukimura-san," Koenma abruptly spoke, which caught everyone else by surprise. "We have no choice but to call 'jaki' evil energy because of the limitations of human language and your understanding of the metaphysical. A more appropriate description of jaki would be a force of death and ruin... notions that aren't inherently evil the way humans view evil. They just are."

Koenma hunched forward and put his small hands on the edge of his oversized desk. "The Chojin's existence entails no principles, no moral dilemmas, and no dichotomy of good and evil. He is described through mindless concepts that are unknowable, inhuman, and neutral. He just exists, and we're preventing his rise to power because we are what we are as well. We want to avoid whatever it is that the combining of all three worlds entails, because more likely than not, it will involve the complete annihilation of everything we know and love to make way for a brand new world that's free from the ties of the past."

* * *

_One week after the attack at Genkai's temple, in the Spirit World... _

"Lord Koenma! Kurama is finally here!" Botan proudly announced.

"Kurama! You're the first person I wanted to see ever since this Chojin debacle started getting really serious! Welcome back to Reikai! How was your trip to Makai?" Koenma greeted, bowing repeatedly and shaking Kurama's hand as if the boyish ruler were greeting a fellow deity or long-lost relative.

"It was none too eventful, but considering that this is the Demon World we're talking about, we should consider it a blessing in disguise," Kurama joked as he waited for Koenma to take his seat. At the back of his mind, he wondered if his dream a while ago was a vision of things to come; a premonition of what he had to deal with in the future in order to maintain the status quo that he, Hiei, and Yusuke worked hard to achieve. Sure, Raizen's friends contributed immensely in bringing back an era of peace and harmony between the Demon World and Human World (to say the least), but Urameshi's group helped establish it nonetheless.

"Your updates in regards to the Chojin were useful. We're still far and away from getting an actual breakthrough on this newest threat to the safety of all three worlds, but at least we aren't getting blindsided like in the Meikai incident. In fact, thanks to you, I was able to figure out that the Chojin wanted to get a hold of the Demon Sword," Koenma blurted out in one breath before pausing, darting his eyes from left to right, and coughing once.

Kurama narrowed his eyes, noticing the Spirit World leader's slip of the tongue and subsequent realization of the fact. However, the redhead decided to let the mistake slide, because he was cynical enough to realize even beforehand that Koenma was going to hide quite a bit of information for the sake of the "greater good" and some such.

Then again, Kurama was kind of wondering what it was that he uncovered about the Chojin that led Koenma to conclude that the Demon Sword was specifically targeted by the Overfiend. To be true, there was a distinct possibility that the prized Youtou Shinnoken of Reikai had deep, historical connections with this power-hungry overlord. He then decided that he needed to investigate this issue a lot more thoroughly in the future.

"So why have you called me here? Do you want me to elaborate on the reports I've given you? Oh, if you want to know where exactly Hiei had gone, I've heard that he's been demon hunting all the way to Alaska for some reason," Kurama disclosed as he regarded Koenma's troubled expression with the patience of a predator stalking his prey, taking note of every last muscle twitch and skin crease. It was a silly thing for him to think, what with the youthful-looking deity being the ruler of the afterlife and all, but that was nonetheless how he felt.

"I'll probably deal with Hiei later. We... have a lot to take care of in the meantime, and we need to be better prepared for what's to come, unlike when we confronted Sensui. Granted, the Reikai still did a great job preparing you four considering that it was a short-notice mission and Sensui's plans were ten years in the making, but one can never be too prepared."

Koenma barked an uneasy laugh before snapping his fingers and summoning, "Botan, come here. I want you to discuss something with Kurama."

"You called, Lord Koenma?" Botan sweetly spoke while she inwardly resisted the urge to ask her boss for the umpteenth time how she ended up housing the spirit of a stuck-up, overacting, bitchy, kendo-obsessed, Kenshin fanatic who was too immature to have a relationship with the former hitokiri.

'Who are you calling kendo-obsessed, you pastel-fixated excuse for a shinigami! And what are shinigami anyway? Back in my day, you guys didn't even exist! You're an invention of the modern world! An urban legend that everybody thought was always there since time immemorial, but wasn't really!' Kaoru Kamiya immediately responded to Botan's mental slander from within the ferry-girl's own consciousness.

'_I_ wish you didn't exist! The only reason I haven't started chewing on lotus blossoms to erase you from my mind is because of your connection with Kenshin. Oh, that and I actually love my memories of being a shinigami and working with Yusuke and the others, thank you very much.'

'Speaking of that Yusuke person, what is up with you and him anyway? Were you two an item? Or has the fact that he's already _taken_ somehow made you feel resentful against seeing couples with the same special bond that Kenshin and I share?'

Botan resisted the urge to gag. 'First off, don't spy on my memories during your free time, missy! Secondly, you and Kenshin have the bond of two kindergarten kids smitten by puppy love, so spare me! Thirdly, yuck! I don't think of Yusuke that way, even though that pervert has already inquired about my vital statistics from behind Keiko's back! We're just friends!'

'U-huh. Oh, and before you go acting all righteous, I couldn't help but notice all the stolen glances you've given of Kurama and his...'

"Arrrgh! You're making me look bad in front of Kurama and Koenma-sama, you chipmunk-voiced harridan!"

Kurama could only watch as Botan seemingly argued with herself like a madwoman who was having a psychotic episode. The true tragedy of this circumstance was the fact that the redhead was unaware that anything was amiss with Botan because of the way she usually behaved. 'She now has voices in her head? That's new,' he blandly noted.

Koenma bemoaned Botan's predicament; it must have been tough dealing with the ghost of Kenshin's dead lover within her head. "Have you gotten Kurama up-to-speed on what happened a week ago at Genkai's temple? How about you, Kurama? What was the last message you've obtained from us at Reikai?"

"Well, I think you mentioned something about Yusuke finally getting the Demon Sword, but somehow awakening its guardian and some such. Furthermore, you also informed me that the artifact reacts to different people in different ways," Kurama supplied, and Botan added, "I haven't told him anything about the attacks yet, Koenma-sama. You kind of had me in a hurry to get Kurama here."

"Fair enough." The toddler clenched his hands together behind him and slowly paced across his office. "Botan, tell Kurama what had happened following your visit to Genkai's temple, particularly the attack involving the Shisejyu and Rando."

* * *

_One and a half weeks after the attack at Genkai's temple, at the Shinjuku Yamabuki High School... _

Natsuki was so used to the onset of headaches she got from merely being within earshot of the mind-numbing, mentally challenging, and intelligence-sapping presence of Likka that she wouldn't be surprised if her brain had already suffered a hemorrhage of sorts. Nevertheless, she had hung out with the pigtailed loon long enough to know exactly how to shut her up.

"Let's play a game, Likka-tan," Natsuki declared with a smile that, while not over-the-top, conveyed malice even better than a top hat and pencil thin mustache ever could.

Likka's skin bleached itself white in terror. "Oh no. Not that. Anything but that, Tsuki-chan!"

"Uh-uh. You've hurt my brain with your stupid statements, and I deserve the opportunity to... do the very same," Natsuki reasoned before frowning and accusing, "See what you did? Look at how much you've degraded my vocabulary! It took me a long time to learn Japanese and not sound like a fresh-off-the-boat foreigner, so I don't appreciate the effortless way you rot my brain, you naughty girl!"

"Oh, have a heart, Tsuki-chaaaaan!" Likka all but groveled at that point, even though she had half a mind to sock her androgynous amigo right on the eye for accusing her of brain-rotting high jinx.

"I have no heart," Natsuki answered her half-minded comrade before proceeding with her most potent anti-Likka weapon. "Let's say you've just heard that there's a room of buried treasure right here in Shinjuku Yamabuki. It has all three treasures of Ancient Japan, plus a mountain of gold bullions to spare. You want to be sure that the school has treasure, so you asked me to make sure. I replied, 'On this school, there's treasure, only if I'm an honest woman.' So should you go and find the treasure or not?"

Likka's thousand-yard stare lasted for a good two seconds. "What kind of a question is that? It's an either-or question. I couldn't tell. If you're not honest, then I shouldn't look for treasure. If you're honest, then I should look for treasure. Is this a trick question? A better question would be if you really are a woman. I've had my doubts."

Natsuki laughed the way those stereotypical rich Japanese heiresses laughed... just like a female Santa Claus. Of course, at the back of her mind, she surmised that Likka was conceivably infecting her with inanity, hence her strange reaction. "No, you silly goose. With that one statement, I've assured you that the school really does have treasure regardless if I'm honest or not."

It was now Likka's turn to have her head throb and ache because of Natsuki's words, which for her meant that she looked really, really constipated. "What? No. If you're not honest, then there's no treasure. If you are honest, there's treasure. You can't get any simpler than that. Don't change the rules!"

"If I'm not honest, then what I said about the treasure only being there when I'm honest is a lie, so obviously even though I'm lying, the treasure is there. If I'm honest, then the treasure is still here. Regardless of the outcome, there's definitely treasure here!" Natsuki explained with a toothy grin that verged on looking cannibalistic.

After a minute of Likka gawking at Natsuki and Natsuki lightly humming the theme tune of a certain Western game show to further tease her compatriot, the pigtailed girl threw her hands up and surrendered. "You win. Whatever. Just thinking about that brain teaser of yours is making my head shrink faster than a, well, Amazonian shrunken head."

Likka smirked. "You've passed my test of resilience and managed to sink my battleship of mindless fun yet again with your logic bombs of doom. Nevertheless, there's only one reason why you've hung out with me for more than fifteen minutes after we met; you want to know more about Uncle Jiji's latest cases, don't you?"

The girl with the pageboy cut nodded eagerly, the expectant sparkle in her eye belying an unquenchable thirst for vengeance and justice. "So tell me, how is Daiji-sempai's investigation of the Kanji Killer coming along? Whatever happened to the one survivor of the assault you mentioned to me last week?"

* * *

_Three weeks after the attack at Genkai's temple, in the Spirit World... _

"Thank you for that briefing on the nature of jaki, Meikai, and the Chojin, Hinageshi. You are dismissed. You may go ahead and complete your _other_ assignment," Koenma stated, which prompted Hinageshi to get up and make her leave then and there. Outside the office, she greeted Botan and the Demon Sword Guardian before climbing on her oar and heading back to the dream realm. She made a mental footnote to connect the Gandhara Shop's transdimensional entrance to the Harajuku district while traversing time and space.

"So we've confirmed that this Chojin guy is a force of nature and he's using his storage of jaki to remodel the three worlds or something equally horrible. Or, for all we know, his coming," Yusuke snickered, "is a naturally occurring event that's supposed to happen because the world sucks and people are dicks who deserve to die. Hell, he may even turn everything into heaven. Well, fine. What now?"

"For one thing, the Overfiend may have collected all the shattered shards of the Meikai Crystal after you first destroyed it along with Yakumo, which is the reason why he only came to power just recently," Koenma supposed while Yusuke chuckled once more. "For another thing, jaki was the reason why Yukimura Keiko-san was put into a comatose state in the first place. Isn't that right, Yukimura-san?" _That_ killed Yusuke's laughter.

"Y-Yes. It was that dragon man who did it." Keiko absently combed her fingers through her hair and ironed out the creases on her outfit, her body cringing as all eyes focused on her.

"Yusuke and the others fought that dragon guy and some other monsters once before when Botan and I were being chased by my hypnotized teachers; I know that because Botan told me so. I'm not sure why he targeted me to get to Yusuke when it was Hiei that finished him off, and my memory was a blur during the time he used me to power that technique of his that looked like Hiei's signature move."

"Wait, Seiryu used you as some sort of energy source?" Yusuke exclaimed as he stood up from his chair and slammed his hands on Koenma's desk. "I don't get it. How could he do that? I heard that Yakumo got his neon pink energy balls from the evilness of humans, so what 'evil' did Seiryu get out of you?"

"Perhaps the trauma of seeing your girlfriend suffering from the consequences of your line of work have gotten to you. Have you forgotten what Keiko was going through while you were in the middle of your match with Rando?" Koenma calmly asked as he herded Yusuke to the correct conclusion.

"Of course I haven't forgotten! I can feel her pain even while Rando and I were kicking each other's asses, and let me tell you, her pain was way worse than mine!" Yusuke replied before putting two and two together and stating, "Hinageshi said something about jaki being a negative force."

"Correct. And I told you just now that jaki and the Chojin aren't necessarily evil. They're forces of nature. Jaki doesn't only feed off evil intent, it also becomes more potent when mixed with the suffering of the innocent, hence Keiko's current state," Koenma elucidated in the plainest words he could think of so that Yusuke could understand completely his upcoming decision in regards to Keiko's situation.

"Just as you've used your willpower to access and transform the jaki of the Meikai Crystal into pure reiki and youki that you and your fellow spirit detectives used to defeat Yakumo, so too can the Chojin's minions use the suffering of others to transform the ebbing life force of a soul in pain into the darkest of jaki. It goes both ways. That was what Hinageshi was trying to tell you earlier. That's how the yin and yang of ki works in our three worlds."

The Prince of the Spirit World halted his impassioned spiel and let his multiple grains of truth and wisdom sink into the consciousnesses of both Keiko and Yusuke. To the half-demon's credit, he automatically held his significant other's hand in support of her predicament. They at least now had a rough idea of what they were up against. "Speaking of crystals and balls, I'm kind of worried about your own health, Yusuke."

"My prostate is perfectly fine... I think. What are you talking about?" Yusuke informed too much, as evidenced by Keiko's blushing, face-palmed features.

"I'm talking about Genkai's Spirit Light Wave Gem inside you. In order for you to become as powerful as you are now, you had to go through inhuman amounts of training, unreasonable amounts of punishment, and unbelievable amounts of life-or-death situations in a very short period of time. About six to seven months tops, and that's before you transformed into a leader-class youkai through force-activated atavism. In fact, I have an inkling feeling that it was all your experiences that allowed you to access your mazoku self in the first place. The gem had a lot to do with your power surge into mountain-breaking levels of excellence."

"I'm fine. Really. I feel very healthy. I'm the picture of good health," Yusuke reassured as he put his knee on the cushion of his seat and posed in cheesecake body builder fashion.

"The picture of hair gel abuse, maybe," Keiko remarked before pondering, "It's funny how your hair stays gelled even when you're in spirit form. Huh."

"_Anyway_, the point I'm trying to make is that you were beaten by a Toguro-level opponent even though you're already way past Sensui level. At this time, you could conceivably beat Enki, Yomi, or Mukuro if you were willing to go all out like you did with Suzaku, wherein you used up your spirit energy _and_ life energy to defeat him." Koenma exhaled.

"Yes, you were careless, but this Chojin-resurrected Rando learned a thing or two from his dark lord. He used your surplus of spirit energy against you. He manipulated the fact that you get stronger as you become more aggravated or saddened by the situation by deploying a technique Buddhist monks used to better achieve enlightenment. He thought out-of-the-box in order to defeat an opponent many times more powerful than he was. Even though he's the enemy, you have to give him credit for his creativity."

Yusuke petulantly harrumphed. "That's just great. Fucking beautiful. You're praising the enemy, and it just happened to be mister plagiarism. If you like him so much, why don't you marry him?" He then stuck his tongue out and pulled his lower eyelid with his finger.

"Yusuke, stop murdering the language; plagiarism doesn't mean what you think it means!"

"You better talk to Genkai about this so-called Kugai, because the mere _ idea_ of you... the most powerful living being allowed to walk the mortal realm... having no control over your powers is giving me the heebie jeebies."

"I told you, I'm fine, Koenma. I-I've gotten this Kugai thing under control. You don't have to worry about a thing," Yusuke guaranteed, his face flushed and his smile crooked.

"The problem is that it's still there. Go to Genkai. I can't order you to go because you're now working as a freelance spirit detective, but as a friend, I'm begging you to go. Please. It's for your own good."

"..."

Having managed to quiet down the rambunctious demon spawn that was Raizen's descendant while still getting his point across, Koenma resumed his interrupted spiel. "The battle at Genkai's temple has set a dangerous precedent. Although you were able to win against almost impossible odds, your victory came at a great cost. This is probably the first time you've ever experienced a Pyrrhic victory such as this."

Yusuke leaned towards Keiko as asked none-to-subtly, "Hey, egghead. What's a Pyrrhic victory?"

"It's a victory that's hollow and costly, blockhead," Keiko lovingly retorted to Yusuke, whose intellect was rivaled only by garden tools. "It's named after King Pyrrhus of Epirus after he suffered great losses before winning in the end."

It was at that moment that Koenma ordered, "Ayame, it's time for you to tell everyone about what happened to Yukimura Keiko-san after she briefly expired and ended up in the River Styx."

* * *

**To be Continued...**

_Next: Who is the Kanji Killer? _

If it isn't obvious by now, let me clarify that the Chojin legend has been taken straight out of the infamous Urotsukidoji franchise. I hope this fic doesn't turn as dark and twisted as that series. It will definitely not turn perverted, though, because I won't be able to post this story if that ever happens.

_May kailangan pa ba akong sabihin?_  
**Abdiel**


	22. Chapter 21

**Demon Sword**

A Yuyu Hakusho/Rurouni Kenshin Crossover Fan Fiction by Chester Castañeda

Original Concept by Chad Yang

What's with the whodunit? You'll see.

_Disclaimer: Yuyu Hakusho is the rightful property of Yoshihiro Togashi, Shueisha, Fuji TV, and St. Pierrot. Rurouni Kenshin is the rightful property of Nobuhiro Watsuki and Sony. This disclaimer also covers all the other copyrighted material that are far too many to mention here. Don't sue me please, I'm very poor._

* * *

**Chapter 21: Smile Bomb (Part 3)**

* * *

_One week after the attack at Genkai's temple, in the Spirit World... _

Kurama brushed his bangs ponderously as he struggled with Botan's epic of a story. "So let me get this straight: A warrior from the past was actually assigned by Reikai to guard the Youtou Shinnoken, and he woke up because of Yusuke's unique energy signature. Then, after meeting with Botan and checking with you, Koenma, here in the Spirit World, they went straight to Genkai's temple with Keiko and was ambushed by Rando, the demon thieves who tried to steal the sword but turned out to be the guardian's old enemies reincarnated as youkai, and three of the four Saint Beasts. Am I following this story correctly or am I mistaken?

"W-ell, that's the gist of it. The actual story was so long, involved, and complicated that even I'm having trouble keeping up with it, _and I was actually there_!" Botan sheepishly confessed.

"I see." Kurama couldn't say anything more than that as he tried to replay the events in his mind. From what he heard, had this "Saito" person not appeared to finish Seiryu off, Keiko would have become unsalvageable while Genkai and Kuwabara would've died. Had Botan not managed to bring Keiko back from the dead to talk Yusuke out of succumbing to the Kugai's insanity-inducing abilities, then Yusuke would've jumped off the deep end while taking the Guardian of the Demon Sword along with him because of their bond.

Even Byakko's and Genbu's roles of being mere cannon fodder were carefully utilized to bring about the most devastating result possible. The half-youko was particularly amazed at how this so-called Kenshin Himura managed to defeat his old enemies, the Hiruma brothers, even after his host, Yusuke, ran out of spirit energy, and he even had to deal with battling Genbu _and _Saito beforehand. With that said, Kurama couldn't make heads or tails out of Saito; was he an ally or an enemy? What was his agenda? In any case, whoever this Chojin was, he was a formidable opponent and a diabolical genius.

Once he was done examining the situation, Kurama took a page out of Yusuke's book and straightforwardly questioned, "I'll ask again; what's the _real_ reason why you called me here, Koenma?"

"As you've just heard, Yusuke is out of sorts right now. Right after Yukimura Keiko-san was put into a comma that no human doctor could ever comprehend, Yusuke was put in the unenviable position of explaining everything to Yukimura-san's parents without revealing the mystical truth about ghosts, demons, and humans, which they wouldn't have believed anyway." Koenma faced the wall and clenched his fists tight, remembering that he had still had to face Yusuke sooner or later in regards to the ultimate fate of Keiko's soul.

The baby-faced leader of the ghostly realm turned, raised his head up, and looked Kurama in the eyes. "That, coupled with the fact that he has no spirit energy left in his system, has compromised his mission to take care of the Demon Sword and keep it away from the Chojin's clutches."

Kurama raised his pencil-thin eyebrows way up as his eyes widened into saucers. "Wait. You don't mean...?" He pointed to himself tentatively.

Koenma nodded once, his squinted eyes mere lines at that point. "Yes. For the time being, I want you to be the one to guard the Youtou Shinnoken and keep it safe from harm. As you can see, the Chojin is almost as good a chess master or shogi expert as Sensui when it comes to plans and contingency management. Like before, I want no less than _you_, the smartest of my four spirit detectives, to handle the more complex Chojin cases while also safeguarding Himura-san and one of our most precious Reikai artifacts along with the three sacred treasures."

To both Koenma and Botan's surprise, Kurama chuckled at the childlike emperor's revelation. "Isn't that ironic? I, who once helped steal the three sacred treasures of the Spirit World, am now tasked to guard a similar artifact? It's like letting an inmate run an asylum."

"Well, with all due respect, I'm going for the 'It takes one to know one' principle. Who better to guard a treasure than the person who knows how to best steal it?" Koenma reasoned equably, but the way he was tugging on his stuffy uniform's collar exposed his real feelings on the matter.

"How about the saying, 'There's no honor among thieves'? Are you working under that principle as well?" Kurama teased, although he had to admit that his innate inquisitiveness would soon get the better of him. He certainly was curious about how the Youtou Shinnoken would react to him... whether it was innocent or morbid curiosity, he couldn't tell.

Botan and Koenma exchanged knowing stares for a minute before regarding Kurama in mild amazement and wonder, which served to pique the red-haired, green-eyed young man's natural-born curiosity some more. "What? Why are you both looking at me like that?"

"You really are the spirit and image of Himura Kenshin! The pensive personality, sarcastic wit, general friendliness, feminine features, and dangerous past you two share are just uncanny! Were you guys separated at birth through time and space or does the Minamino family tree have ties to the Himura clan?" Botan marveled in spite of herself and her own Kaoru-related problems, much to Kurama's bafflement.

Speaking of which, Kaoru gave Kurama a good look from inside Botan's subconscious using the ferry-girl's own eyes and concluded, 'I don't see it. Kenshin doesn't look anything like him. Besides, Kenshin tends to be a lot more girly than this guy... although not by much.'

'On the contrary, watch my memory of Kurama fighting Roto, where he got a cross-shaped scar on his left cheek, just like Kenshin!' Botan countered as she dug deep into her memories for that particular Ankoku Bujutsukai episode and replayed it for Kaoru's benefit like a VHS tape. 'See? See? He's practically Rurouni Kurama there! Their regular outfits are even in the same shade of pink!'

Kaoru viewed the blurry memory for a couple of minutes, still believing that it was a stretch to consider the effeminate, redheaded, long-haired, pink-wearing, and sharp-tongued Kurama to be anything like the effeminate, redheaded, long-haired, pink-wearing, and sharp-tongued Kenshin. 'Who's the shrimp with the skunk hair?' she inquired after watching the first couple of minutes of Botan's old memory.

'Focus, woman! FOCUS!' Botan berated without a hint of irony. Kaoru wished she could palm her face, but she couldn't because the astral body she presently occupied wasn't really hers, so to speak.

"Himura Kenshin? You mean the guardian of the Demon Sword?" Kurama queried while Botan got distracted by whatever personalities were inhabiting her mind. "I've never even met him. Where is he, anyway? Isn't he still with Yusuke?"

"Actually, he's with her," Koenma notified, pointing right at the rambling and crazy-looking Botan as she debated about semantics and opinions concerning Kurama's Kenshin-ness (or Kenshin's Kurama-ness) with a woman who seemingly came straight back from the past.

"After forcing himself to use his own sword energy to fight the reincarnated Hiruma brothers, he was ultimately forced to recharge his metaphoric batteries by remaining inside the Demon Sword like a genie in a bottle. Yusuke himself hasn't recovered his spirit energy yet, so that leaves you as the designated caretaker of this important artifact."

"Oro?" came the muffled voice of a slightly frazzled and barely awake Kenshin as he voiced out his concern from within the dormant Youtou Shinnoken that was hidden within the spacious folds of Botan's kimono sleeves after being roused by Kaoru and Botan's silly bickering as well as Koenma's announcement.

* * *

_One and a half weeks after the attack at Genkai's temple, at the Shinjuku Yamabuki High School... _

"So whatever happened to the Kanji Killer's latest victim? I heard that she fit all the descriptions in regards to the serial murderer's usual victims," Natsuki interrogated in earnest so as to seize the moment and not let her attention-span-deprived friend get distracted by most anything on their path.

"It's been a month since the body was first recovered outside an abandoned lot, and many things have happened since then. I was able to rifle through Uncle Jiji's files and find out that the sister of the victim informed the police that it wasn't the Kanji Killer who did her sibling in; it was instead someone else. My brother-in-law wasn't at all surprised by that development because..."

"...The perpetrator carved up the victim's body using the 'Hon' kanji from the word 'Nihon', which is a common mistake of copycat murderers following the Kanji Killer's modus operandi," Natsuki finished for Likka, much to the surprise of no one. Likka only _wished_ that this was the first time Natsuki had ever done this. "I myself have suspected as much, but seeing that I don't have the police reports on hand, I presumed it was just the newspaper's mistake when they ran that item."

"Yeah, Uncle Jiji said as much. Instead of writing 'Hon', the true Kanji Killer tended to write 'Ichi' 'Hachi', and 'Ju' together. He might as well be called..." Likka left an intentionally long pause to make it easier for her friend to interrupt her. Not that Natsuki cared, because she would've ended up involuntarily completing the sentence herself with or without Likka's help.

"...The One-Eight-Ten Killer. I've run ciphers and code breakers on this bozo and his obsession with those three numbers, and I still don't understand the rationale behind carving his victims up with kanji number strokes."

The auburn-haired girl bit her pouted lip; her latest lead turned out to be just another dud. The police had been trying to pin the Kanji Killer for years now after chopping up a multitude of victims, and they only ended up getting chopped up cops and increased number of murders for their trouble.

Just like Likka's brother-in-law, Natsuki suspected that the large increase of Kanji Killer cases rooted from the fact that the murderer's distinct modus operandi was so easy to follow: Disable the victim in such a way that there would be no sign of a struggle, then cut him or her up using a sword and kanji strokes for one, eight, ten, all three, or any combination of them herewith.

Because of how high profile the Kanji Killer's case had become, murderers nowadays were now following the serial killer's choice of random victims and slashing techniques in order to 'frame' the notorious killer for their own crimes.

As far as the half-Chinese girl was concerned, she went all the way to Japan to hunt down this outlaw because there was something startlingly similar with the Kanji Killer's tactics and a certain someone's own schemes and ploys, particularly the choice of victims. "So who was the real culprit?" she asked with significantly less enthusiasm than before.

"That's kind of the problem the fuzz are facing right now. According to the victim's sister, the victim admitted to being raped by one of the Shimomura brothers, particularly the Shimomura quintuplets. The sister claimed that she didn't know which quintuplet did it, and she decided to go public with her story because of what happened to the victim in the end."

Natsuki tapped her fingers on the table as her interest in the case returned; it had nothing to do with the man she was hunting down, but she would be damned before she ignored a case like this one. "The Shimomura quintuplets? As in the sons of the founder of the Shimomura Zaibatsu? So the news item I saw on TV about Boy A to E the other day was about them? There were so many suspects, I initially thought it was a gang rape."

"Jeez, don't be so vulgar, Tsuki-chan!" Likka berated before confirming, "It's the same case. They're all minors, so the media had no choice but to hide their identities, much to the relief of their father. However, those in-the-know are aware that Shimamura Kunihiko-san is still doing damage control by hiring the best lawyers in town and having them launch a nasty smear campaign against the girl, just in case his sons got convicted and their identities revealed. It's pretty nasty." Likka held herself and shivered as her spine tingled with indignant revulsion.

"Apparently, Shimamura-san's private investigators had discovered rumors that the girl wasn't the straightest of arrows and slept with teachers and delinquents before she ended up with one of the Shimomura quintuplets. The victim's sister and women's rights groups were naturally livid and up-in-arms with their lawyers' dirty tactics, even though the public at large aren't privy with the fact that it's him who's doing it. In any case, the sons apparently issued their statements to the police from behind their daddy's back for some reason."

Natsuki blinked at that last statement, surprised by the turn of events of the case. She was just about to take note that she saw the smear campaign Likka was referring to in a tabloid earlier on when her fickle friend sent her a curve ball in the form of the Shimomura quintuplets confessing to the authorities. "So they confessed? Did they do it out of guilt? Is the case already over and is the real culprit behind bars?"

"They were screwing with the cops, naturally. They didn't care if they were committing perjury or whatever; for shits and giggles, they issued contradicting statements that left the officers angry and cross-eyed." Likka laughed bitterly, shaking her head and making her braided hair whip around like a horse's tail.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you. Aside from the quintuplets, the siblings had four other brothers, so that's nine of them in total. Only the quintuplets were suspects based on the testimony of the victim's sister, but the testimony of the other brothers were also taken into consideration."

Natsuki let Likka's words sink in. "What statements have they told the police?"

"Oh, it sounded like a confession of guilt from some of them at the beginning, but once they'd all released their statements, it was complete bedlam! One brother says that the so-and-so quintuplet did it, but then another brother says that so-and-so didn't do it. Almost all of their statements contradicted each other, so it was an absolute mess to sort through. But that's not the end of it, Tsuki-chan."

"What else happened?" Natsuki inquired. "I'm all ears."

"W-ell, remember the smear campaign that the father started? Well, some sleazebag suddenly came out of the woodwork and claims that _he_ knows which of the Shimomura quintuplets actually killed the victim because he was one of the girl's many ex-boyfriends. He's obviously after money, because I've heard from Uncle Jiji that after the man confirmed his identity to the police and to the brothers, he took one look at the gathered statements, chuckled, and said that only three of the brothers were telling the truth."

Natsuki's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets before she squinted in comprehension. "He didn't say anything else, huh?"

Likka crossed her arms and harrumphed. "Yep. The scumbag probably did his little stunt for the benefit of the quintuplets present, as though telling them that the only way to shut him up was to stuff his mouth with yen notes. He'd only release his info if his life were threatened to boot, so he's likely feeling invincible or something, the dunderhead. I'm kind of hoping that Uncle Jiji will solve the case soon so that the slime ball gets zilch in hush money."

"Do you have the testimonies of the brothers? Or perhaps any profiles on them?" Natsuki asked as the wheels inside her head turned.

"Uncle Jiji has them, so I'll have to sneak his papers out of the house somehow." Likka tilted her head to the side. "Are you sure you want to know more about this case? Like I said, a potential witness has stated that the Kanji Killer has nothing to do with the murder, and the forensics lab confirmed that the slashes were too ineptly done to be consistent with the more methodical cuts of your serial killer."

Natsuki shrugged. "I'll take any lead I can get, because they don't exactly grow on trees." The girl leaned on a nearby wall, put down her metal walking stick, took out a notebook and pen from her purse, wrote something on one of the notebook's pages, tore the page out, and handed it to Likka.

"If you don't mind, I'll be using your 'ninja' skills once more. Since tomorrow is a weekend, can you please get me the names, profiles, and statements of the Shimomura brothers from Daiji-sempai as well as the names of the two sisters and the man claiming to be the dead sister's ex-boyfriend? It'll help me tremendously."

Natsuki smiled one of her rare, genuine cat-ate-the-canary smiles that scared Likka witless for some reason. "After you've played pretend shadow warrior and gathered all those materials, we'll be playing another round of amateur detective." She winked. "It'll be fun."

* * *

_Three weeks after the attack at Genkai's temple, in the Spirit World... _

It was at during that juncture that Koenma summoned Ayame. "You may commence your report, Ayame. Naturally, I will need Yukimura-san to corroborate your accounts in regards to her misadventures in the River Styx."

Ayame stood up and bowed to everyone present. Despite the intense look that her supposed employer aimed at her, she began her report undeterred. "Because Koenma-sama was busy with a top secret assignment that few in the Spirit World knew about, he temporarily assigned the ferry-girls to handle the traffic of dead souls during that ill-fated Wednesday three weeks ago. It's also why Koenma-sama was far too late in learning about the Shisejyu's attack at Genkai-shihan's temple."

Yusuke checked Koenma's reaction for any sign of regret or anger after Ayame's seeming potshot, but he found none. The out-of-school youth was normally quite dense when it came to recognizing the signs and symptoms of a Japanese-style squabble, but even he could recognize the air of unacknowledged animosity and mistrust between Ayame and Koenma right then and there. Unsurprisingly, both Keiko and Sayaka had been feeling the change in atmosphere way before Yusuke did; as soon as Koenma shifted his attention towards Ayame and her reports, in fact.

Ayame continued. "Because of my familiarity with Yusuke and company _and_ because Botan was indisposed at the moment, I elected myself to be the one to ferry Keiko's recently ejected soul through the River Styx."

"Oh, so you knew who Yusuke and the others are? Then you must be the shinigami friend that Botan talked about! I mean, other than Hinageshi! Wow!" Keiko cheered in spite of herself and the fact that Koenma and Ayame weren't exactly in pleasant terms at the moment. "Why didn't you tell me...? Oh, I'm sorry for interrupting your story. Please go on." The ghost-girl realized too late that she'd just stoked the flames of hostility between the two celestial beings.

Before Ayame could resume, Koenma interjected, "That's actually a valid question. Why didn't you tell Yukimura Keiko-san that you were close to the Urameshi Yusuke faction and not just another friendly ferry-girl who's guiding a lost soul around the river of the dead?"

"I'm familiar with them, but I wouldn't say I'm close to them. Also, as you can see, they're not very familiar with me either." The expression on Ayame's face remained neutral and flat; almost robotic. "At any rate, although she had already forgotten about it, she asked me that very same question about my connection with Botan without me bringing it up, so it's a moot point."

Not knowing what else to say to that, Koenma eased his belabored breathing and murmured, "Okay, your story checks out. Proceed."

Unnoticed by the rest, Keiko did her best to reminisce past events even as the persistent haze of the lotus blossoms prevented her from completely remembering the circumstances surrounding her spirit's separation from its mortal body. At the back of her mind, she recalled a kaleidoscope of indecipherable sights, a cacophony of indescribable sounds, and the tang of forgotten smells. All she knew was the instinctive memory wherein the afterlife took her nonexistent breath away as soon as she first saw it.

She then gasped as the sudden vision of her walking across a squall of cherry blossoms at the entrance of the Elysian Fields was unexpectedly interrupted by an abrupt blast of bitingly cold water. At the time, her mind made her instinctively struggle through the suffocating liquid even though no actual harm befell her.

She saw endless clouds of billowing mists in an empty backdrop with no horizon, but she couldn't exactly place which of these events happened first or last. Indeed, the lotus blossoms worked like a charm when it came to keeping her memories of that fateful, horrible day completely chaotic to the point of disbelief in their very existence; barely any of them made sense to her frazzled mind.

"Yukimura Keiko had already crossed over between the boundaries of the world of the living and the world of the dead by the time I found her in the mouth of the River Styx; however, the faint link between her ghost and her body was still present, so it's conceivable that her ghost was merely an astral projection of sorts, otherwise known as an out-of-body-experience usually seen by the dying or spiritually adept," Ayame theorized as she scanned through the notes she'd made. "Nevertheless, since her ghost was able to reach the Spirit World in the end, I made the call to bring her back to her ancestors, since the Book of Fate decreed that she deserved that much."

"I see." Koenma looked back and forth between Keiko and Ayame while Yusuke squirmed in his seat. Despite being annoyed at how slow the conversation was going, the half-demon held his tongue. As for Sayaka, she hummed a slight ditty as she busied herself by taking down as many notes as she could with a pen and crayons. Meanwhile, the Prince of the Spirit World announced after a minute of reflection, "The mere fact that Yukimura Keiko had hovered... and is still hovering... between life and death has a lot to do with what Seiryu did to her."

"I don't understand. What exactly did Seiryu do to her that's so difficult to handle? Can't we save her? Is she dead or alive?" Yusuke questioned with a touch of impatience in his voice, which earned him a timely nudge from Keiko.

"Back in the Warring States Era of Ancient Japan, demons 'ate' humans in a variety of ways. In the case of Yusuke's ancestors, they usually ate human bodies like wild predators to prey. However, there are also other demons who subsisted by corrupting the hearts of men to do hurtful or malicious deeds to one another, hence the many legends we have of demonic trickery and manipulations."

Koenma grasped his hands together and donned an expression no mere child should ever wear. "The metaphysical power these youkai gained from doing so is incalculably huge, since quite a lot of unused spiritual energy unwittingly produced by man remains untapped to this day. Based on Kurama's recent reports, we have reason to believe that the Chojin's minions are using that very modus operandi to tap into that large power source, which in turn could be used to launch an assault more devastating than the localized attempts that Yakumo did to conquer the Human World."

Without giving Yusuke the chance to contemplate his words and then hijack the conversation with needless interruptions, Koenma turned towards Keiko and asked, "Is what Ayame is saying true? Can you confirm it or do you not remember?"

"A pink forest," Keiko murmured to herself, brushing her short, pageboy-style brown hair to the side. "I remember a mist-filled swamp at the mouth of the River Styx that Ayame-san and I encountered as we flew above its waters. Before that, I woke up from a dark haze and realized that I was underwater... or was it after? I'm not sure. I thought I was going to drown, but I didn't. Somehow. After I managed to get back to the surface, I saw a woman wearing the black version of Botan's kimono; I realized just now, as Hinageshi-chan was giving out her report, that the first person I met then and there in the Spirit World was Ayame-san."

Koenma did two small nods as he deliberated over Keiko's account of her journey through the River Styx, identifying the misty third fork of the Sanzu no Kawa as the one that leads straight to the pink-forested Elysian Fields and the dark waters as the veil separating the living world from the nonliving realm. He prompted Ayame to continue her story in order to better interpret Keiko's jumbled memory.

"Yes, sir. In accordance to the Spirit World's standard operating procedure, I went ahead and attempted to ferry Yukimura Keiko across the Sanzu no Kawa so that she could unite with her ancestors at the Eternal Paradise Section of the Spirit World; it was the best-case scenario for her in light of her tragic twist of fate."

From beside Ayame, Keiko nodded in confirmation of the cheerless shinigami's assessments.

"Of course, as typical of recently deceased ghosts like her, she was in staunch denial of her death. She wasn't the first ghost to deny the fact that she was no longer one of the living, and she won't be the last."

"Be that as it may, it still doesn't quite explain the fact that Yukimura-san somehow ended up in the Purgatorial Sector when she was supposed to go to the Eternal Paradise Sector regardless of the carte blanch I gave all shinigami that day." Koenma leaned back his office chair, his infantile arms crossed over his chest and his diminutive feet propped right on the table.

"The level of incompetence you displayed that day is inexcusable, Ayame. Like you said, we've handled stubborn ghosts who believed they shouldn't die before. As a professional shinigami who's been doing this job for decades, what's your excuse for letting Yukimura-san go to a place she wasn't supposed to be in?"

Ayame didn't even miss a beat as she answered, "Her free will."

"What in the seven hells are you talking about?" Koenma blanched as he straightened up his posture and demanded, "What does free will have to do with anything?"

"Every human has the ability to choose their own fate while they're alive. Every living being has the right to follow the destiny that the Spirit World has chosen for them, or chose their own. Once a mortal dies, his fate is left in the hands of the Reikai, but while there's a hint of life in them, they still have a say regarding what's going to happen to them."

Ayame turned to look at Keiko. "She decided that the middle fork of the River Styx... the one covered in mists and haze and reserved for spirits who are tainted but still redeemable... was where she wanted to go. Isn't that right, Yukimura-san?"

* * *

_One week after the attack at Genkai's temple, in the Spirit World... _

Because the situation called for it, Koenma posed dramatically and beckoned to the blue-haired and ranting ferry-girl, "Botan, give Kurama the sword, and let him get acquainted with Himura-san. As of now, he is the caretaker of the Demon Sword."

However, nobody was listening to him.

"As soon as Koenma-sama gives me that meeting he promised to give me, I'll be kicking you out of my mind! Go invade some other shinigami's head for once, you time-displaced basket case!"

"It's not as if I asked to be in the body of some blue-haired floozy wearing a novelty kimono for an outfit and a paddle for an accessory! And you call yourself a grim reaper! You don't look anything like death!"

"Oh, so you want to go the formulaic route, huh? Well, with all due respect to shinigami like Ayame-chan, I'm the perky type of death bringer that demonstrates to people how death doesn't necessarily need to be 'The End' or anything dreary. Death can be something to look forward to, like a new life of sorts."

"Yeah. With that sort of speech, I'm sure people will be flocking Aokigahara in no time at all."

"That's it! You've really crossed the line this time, y-you... mortal! If you weren't already dead, I'd let you feel how terrible dying can be!"

"Maybe we should just leave the sword to them for the time being?" an amused Kurama suggested to a bemused Koenma.

"Kaoru-dono! Botan! Please, let Koenma finish what he's saying," a voice from the blue requested in an authoritative tone. It was Kenshin, speaking on behalf of the Demon Sword and sounding very much like Kurama for some reason.

The warring personalities inside the ferry-girl's head reluctantly obliged, handing the sword over to Kurama. The shinigami even posed in the traditional submissive fashion, presenting the Reikai artifact with both hands for added flourish.

"Please, handle this sword with care... uh, what is your name?" the sword-trapped Kenshin inquired.

The redheaded kitsune avatar hesitated for a moment. "K-Kurama. In the Human World, I am also known as Minamino Shuichi," he supplied.

If Kenshin's bodiless form could make the sword nod, he would've done so. "Kurama-dono or Shuichi-dono? I hope you don't mind my calling you Kurama-dono, then." The former hitokiri laughed. "This lowly one had many names as well, back in the day." A pause. "Is there something wrong, Kurama-dono? Why are you hesitating?"

"Oh, pardon me. I've heard so much about the Demon Sword and its ability to augment the powers of those who wield it. So I..."

"It kind of reacted differently to Yusuke-dono. Maybe you'll get a more positive reaction?" Kenshin hopefully suggested, but that was only because he was unaware of Kurama's history. Had he known that his fellow redhead was actually a centuries-old demon thief with powers comparable to that of a Makai overlord, then he would've understood Kurama's hesitation.

All the same, Kurama took hold of the strange artifact and observed it closely. Nothing happened. The redhead relaxed slightly before a vision from his latest dream came back to haunt him.

"Now don't go stealing that sword the same way you stole the Three Reikai Treasures, or else I'll sic some new Reikai Tantei after you," Koenma joked, but then realized that his comrade was in no joking mood.

"I owe you and Yusuke a lot, Kurama. I realize that there's no reason for you to give me all the help that you've provided so far, but please do realize that we're fighting for the same thing. We must avoid letting this Chojin and his minions succeed in building an army powerful enough to take down both Makai and Reikai together."

"Huh? Oh, no; I knew at least that much, Koenma. I'm not getting cold feet or anything. It's just that..." Kurama blinked as he felt the stares of everyone around him. "What's wrong, everyone?"

"You didn't change at all," Botan blurted out straightforwardly. "Or maybe you did, but we couldn't tell because you and Kenshin basically act the same way anyway."

"He's not saying 'oro' and he's not referring to himself as 'this lowly one', so I'm not so sure about that," the Kaoru inside Botan's head observed.

"Oh, the author stopped doing the 'lowly one' shtick because it made the prose sound awkward," Botan explained.

"What?" Kaoru deadpanned using Botan's voice.

Kurama did his best to make sense of the ferry-girl's rants, unaware that his hand had started to travel towards the Youtou Shinnoken's inviting handle. He curbed his growing eagerness to unsheathe the hallowed weapon at the last minute. "So the sword reacts differently to every person who wields it, correct?"

"Yeah. Yusuke served as some sort of battery so that Kenshin's ghost can become tangible, and every time they weren't within each other's vicinity, Kenshin's temporary body disappears. Oh, and they even have this thing where they share the same bond, so whenever Kenshin gets hurt, Yusuke gets hurt as well. I think they also had a telepathic connection, but you'll have to ask Yusuke about that to confirm it."

"No, I believe it. I know so," Kurama reassured, which gave both Botan and Kaoru pause.

"How'd you know about it?" Kaoru asked as she rubbed Botan's eyes; for some reason, the kendo instructor was beginning to see the resemblance between her long-lost vagabond protector and this handsome rogue with rose-red tresses.

"I... just do." At that instant, a hodgepodge of memories from the four personalities residing within Kurama's body at the moment: some from his life as Shuichi Minamino, some from his career as Youko Kurama, some from Kenshin's stint as the Hitokiri Battousai, and some from Kenshin's experiences as a repentant wanderer. The mishmash of recollections would've overwhelmed the youko-possessed redhead had his synchronization with Kenshin's soul been less than perfect.

'So you're a very old kitsune... oh, excuse me... _youko_ who probably existed even before I was born; a powerful being that could've ruled over the entirety of Makai had the mysterious entity known as the Reikai Hunter not shot you down and forced you to hide inside the body of a human boy about eighteen or so years ago,' Kenshin telepathically conveyed with a slight hint of reverence and awe in his voice. 'No wonder you have two names. It's a pleasure to meet you, my new caretaker and sempai.'

'Er, please don't call me sempai,' Kurama beseeched before appraising, 'You were a mere human with the strength and killer instinct of a demon. Even before your soul was merged into this Reikai artifact, you were a formidable enough opponent to go against most demons rated Class-B and below. Now, with the assistance of your shinigami-like abilities and the Youtou Shinnoken's might, your potential power is incalculable.'

Kurama and Kenshin mentally exchanged bows and shook hands. 'Were I still Youko Kurama today, I would've stolen you and your sword as soon as I knew about its location. No wonder the Chojin wants to have you, to corrupt you, or both; you're a great find!'

'Please don't refer to me and my sword as one and the same,' Kenshin pleaded to his closest equivalent in this modern world, which earned him a hasty apology on Kurama's part. Koenma then asked, "So what happened, Kurama? Do you feel any different?" which caught the attention of both consciousnesses and made them turn towards the Reikai Prince as one.

Kurama gazed at Koenma and related, "It's a bit more complicated than that, Koenma-dono. I... we're now one and the same, for all intents and purposes; the same way Battousai is a part of Kenshin or Youko Kurama is a part of me. As long as we hold this sword, we are in perfect synchronization, which is an understatement of the highest magnitude, to say the least."

Both Kurama and Kenshin shot Botan a glance, which earned a blush from either Botan or Kaoru; they couldn't tell. 'I still don't understand how someone in your past ended up in the body of a shinigami I know, Kenshin,' Kurama asked, and Kenshin responded, 'I'm not quite sure how it happened myself, but I have the suspicion that it has something specifically to do with me and my awakening. Koenma-dono himself promised to shed light into this event right after I help you with your latest mission.'

Koenma's eyebrows formed a crease above the bridge of his nose as he pondered over what just happened. While he _was_ fascinated by how effective the random effect curse he used to seal the sword worked, he also felt rather disappointed that Kurama's reaction to the sword was so... uneventful.

Sure, the result of Kurama wielding the Youtou Shinnoken... perfect synchronization between the kitsune-turned-human and the human-turned-guardian... was captivating in and of itself, but it remained less promising than the haphazard link that Yusuke and Kenshin shared when they were bonded through the Demon Sword. Even though Kurama's link with Kenshin was more stable, Yusuke's chaotic link allowed Kenshin to gain numerous immeasurable upsurges of energy care of Yusuke's emotion-driven outbursts of power.

'It's such a shame that Yusuke had to be stricken by Rando's Kugai technique. He would've helped Kenshin realize the true, unlimited potential of the Demon Sword care of his 'Never say die' attitude and his overwhelming willpower, but now his positive attributes have been turned against him. I should remember to tell Yusuke to go give Genkai a visit in regards to his condition.'

Koenma nodded to himself. 'Oh well. Controlled power is better than uncontrolled power, I guess, even though I do wish that Kurama could somehow help Kenshin realize the full capabilities of the Youtou Shinnoken.' In any event, the toddler king was about to discover that he had better be careful what he wished for.

Just then, the visage of the long-deceased demon known as Kuronue appeared in Kurama's mind's eye, which startled Kenshin. 'Who are you really, Kurama? Who have you become? Do you honestly think that you can merge your two selves into one body the same way this cross-scarred assassin merged with you? Draw that sword out and observe your true self from the surface of that weapon's bladed edge.'

Seemingly hypnotized by Kuronue's words and despite Kenshin's unheard warning gasp, Kurama did as his old partner told him to do, unsheathing the Youtou Shinnoken's metal edge and using it as a mirror to see for himself who he'd truly become.

Golden eyes hidden behind glistening silver bangs stared back at Kurama; at that very instant, the youko regained his former glory and perhaps far beyond even that.

He hemorrhaged so much power, it was almost indecent. Abominable. Terrifying. Magnificent. Incomprehensible. He felt every metaphysical component of his soul tremble with delighted excitement he hadn't felt in a long, long, time; even in the afterlife, the sheer, unbridled power that he represented could not be contained.

It swallowed nature, glared fire, shrieked thunder, redefined reality, perceived forever, and sabotaged everything in sight. Even ogres, the gods of death, and their ruler were at his mercy.

Koenma, Botan, and... to a certain extent... Kaoru Kamiya didn't even know what hit them then and there.

* * *

_Nearly two weeks after the attack at Genkai's temple, at the Shinjuku Yamabuki High School Library... _

"I hope you appreciate this, because Uncle Jiji certainly won't." Likka might have been pouting, but the sparkles in her eyes was unmistakable. "I'll also remind you that we're in the library right in the middle of school break, Tsuki-chan."

"Fine. I'll treat you out with ice cream for the rest of the break, okay?" Natsuki promised the shorter girl with a slight smile while ignoring the annoyed shushing sounds of the librarian and a few students who had to do some extra credit work.

Inwardly, the slender, gazelle-built tomboy recognized that her light teasing of her overly cheerful acquaintance looked almost normal and trite at first glance to passersby, which sickened her a bit. How twisted and warped must her life be in order for her to act so eager when it comes to obtaining the gruesome details of a rape-slay murder case? She didn't really care, she eventually realized.

Natsuki pushed her chair forward, put her hands, knees, and eyebrows together, and did what she could to not sound _too_ interested about this admittedly disturbing case. "Tell me what sempai knows, Likka-tan. And just the facts, please."

"Okay. You had me at ice cream. But first off, an update. Last time, you heard from me that the scumbag ex-boyfriend of the victim knew who the perp was, but then stalled at the last minute in front of the quintuplets, their parents, and their siblings... probably to milk some cash out of their father, most likely. Well, guess what?"

"He spilled the beans?" Natsuki queried as she covered her mouth and moved her head to the side, unable to conceal the sound of disappointment in her voice despite her best efforts to hide it. She was looking forward to solving this crime with the least amount of clues possible, which was in direct contrast to the investigative modus operandi of Likka's brother-in-law, which involved charts, calculations, possible theories on motivation, and whatnot.

'They call it deduction because you're supposed to _deduct_ all the extraneous information off of a given occurrence to reveal the truth behind the whole matter; Occam's razor is still the best way to solve cases,' Natsuki reckoned.

"Oh, no! He's _dead_. The Kanji Killer got him! I heard it on the radio just this morning! His name was Oogata Akio, eighteen years old, a third year high school student in the same school as the victim he used to date," came Likka's trademark rapid-fire delivery, which Natsuki was thankfully used to at this point. "Isn't that horrible? Some of the police are now reconsidering to file this rape-slay case as part of the Kanji Killer case if a breakthrough isn't established soon. The only remaining witness is the victim's sister, and she's now fearing for her life."

Natsuki didn't like the sound of that. She theorized that this relatively simple case was getting muddled and complicated by either the perpetrators in order to cover up their tracks or the Kanji Killer himself who, by either his own volition or some crazy coincidence, had joined the fray. "Was Oogata-shi mutilated using those kanji strikes again? Did it form the character 'Hon' or spell out 'One-Eight-Ten'?"

Likka shrugged. "I don't know. He just died this weekend, so autopsy reports will only be released at a later date." She blinked, then rubbed her chin. "I did hear Uncle Jiji mumble this morning, 'Why 'Hon'? Why was it 'Hon'?' so maybe it's 'Hon' instead of 'One-Eight-Ten'."

Natsuki rubbed her throbbing temples. She reckoned that if Likka's brother-in-law detective felt troubled about seeing the "Hon" character on Oogata's corpse, then he must've noticed something amiss that led him to conclude that the body should've sported the "One-Eight-Ten" characters together instead; that was also rather strange, because it made more sense if any of the Shimamura family orchestrated the second murder.

'The police must've noticed something One-Eight-Ten-like about Oogata's alleged murder for them to start reconsider filing the Shimamura quintuplet case as part of the Kanji Killer crime wave.'

Natsuki slammed her forehead right on the hardwood desk in front of her, much to Likka's consternation. "Now, don't act so desperate, Tsuki-chan; were you to bang your head too hard, you might become deranged enough to be one of the criminals my brother-in-law hunts down for a living."

"Hardy-har-har," Natsuki responded as she rubbed her sore cranium. "I almost fell into the same mental traps sempai regularly gets ensnared in whenever he investigates tough cases; he over-thinks issues that shouldn't be over-thought." She took a handkerchief on her pants' pocket and dabbed it on her achy brow. "Let's disseminate the info sempai has gotten and think of the solution afterwards."

Likka gave Natsuki a cross look. "You know, this is kind of like cheating. These _are_ Uncle Jiji's notes."

Natsuki shrugged the accusation off. "It's his fault that the answer is already staring him right in the face but still he hasn't figured it out. Now, tell me the statements that the Shimomura quintuplets released to the police."

"Actually, all nine brothers released statements, so it's a lot more complicated than you're making it out. Oogata-shi saw all nine statements before declaring that only three of the brothers were telling the truth."

Natsuki shook her head. "I disagree. It's a lot simpler than you think. In fact, that one statement from the ex-boyfriend serves as a clue in and of itself already."

"Fine. Let's get this over with."

As Likka rifled through her handbag, Natsuki reminded her, "Tell me which one of the brothers are part of the quintuplets and which aren't so that we can weed out the relevant information from the irrelevant ones."

"That's a bold, if sweeping statement. You generalize too much, Tsuki-chan." Likka took out the scores of yellow pad paper with soft drink stains and chicken-scratch notations. Fortunately, one of the braid-haired girl's specialties aside from costume-related antics was deciphering the handwriting of her brother-in-law.

"Shimamura Akahito, sixteen, one of the quintuplets, said, 'I'm not sure, but by my estimation, Ennosuke-kun is the most likely suspect. I wouldn't want to snitch on my fellow quintuplet or anything, but he's been giving Kishida-san (the victim) the eye for quite sometime. He acts like her white knight too, claiming that the rumors surrounding her promiscuity were nothing but rumors. I'd hate to snitch on family, but if you were to press me for answers, then I believe Ennosuke-kun did it.' Akahito-kun is mostly obsessed with cartoons, model kits, figurines, and..."

"Let's skip the profiling for now," Natsuki requested as she took down notes on her handy memo pad. "Can you please leave out the frills and summarize who they're accusing of what and so on? Thanks."

Likka rolled her eyes. "You just want the facts, right? Then I'll just tell you their statements, nothing more."

"That suits me fine. Please and thank you, Likka-tan."

"Shimamura Bunjiro, thirteen, the youngest in the family, not part of the quintuplets, said, 'I don't think it was Ennosuke-niichan. I know it looks bad for him because he's been taking a lot of pictures of Kishida-neechan, but I swear on my mom's grave, Ennosuke-niichan would never harm Kishida-neechan. She's his first love, and her death is tearing him apart.'" More scribbles from Natsuki's pen were heard.

"Shimamura Katsuhiko, sixteen, the eldest of the quintuplets, said, 'I did it, but I didn't rape her. It was consensual. However, the little bitch then admitted that she got herself pregnant with my child and if I didn't take responsibility for the kid, she'd claim that she was raped. Well, I beat her to the punch and made her into a fake Kanji Killer victim. However, the jig is now up, so I have no choice but to turn myself in."

"That almost sounds like a confession," Natsuki remarked while Likka nodded.

"Katsuhiko-kun was actually the prime suspect up until the time Oogata-shi showed up at the station and implied that the siblings were protecting each other using contradictory testimony."

"Okay, I got it. Please continue."

"Shimamura Doi, sixteen, one of the quintuplets, said, 'I'm not sure who did it. If you think about it, there are many sides to a story. For example, Houjo-kun could be accused of doing it because he's a ladies man and he probably doesn't want to get tied down to anyone, just like Ippei-aniki. As for Katsuhiko-niichan, he has been used by a woman before. He once tested her love by declaring that our father had disowned him. She left him quicker than you can say 'compensated dating', and he's been distrustful of women ever since."

"Two this time, huh?"

"Shush, it's just getting interesting. Shimamura Ennosuke, sixteen, the youngest quintuplet, said, 'Whatever Bunjiro told you, he's lying. That's all I have to say.'"

"So Ennosuke is saying that he did it because Bunjiro told the police that Ennosuke didn't, but Ennosuke is saying that Bunjiro is lying?"

"Wait, I'm getting cross-eyed."

The two girls giggled, which earned them hateful glares from the assigned librarian. "Anyway, Shimamura Fumio, fifteen, not one of the quintuplets, said, 'I think Katsuhiko-niichan is guilty because he has become intolerant of women. He hasn't been dating for quite a while, and it looks like he has jumped the deep end and assaulted an innocent woman. He needs medical help.'"

Likka flipped a page. "Shimamura Goemon, fourteen, not one of the quintuplets, said, 'I don't think it was Katsuhiko-nii. He hasn't been dating, and he hates women too much to even be associated with them, much less have sex with them. I don't know what's going on, but aside from his anger for his ex-girlfriend's betrayal, he's a pretty standup guy. He'd do anything to protect his siblings.'

"Shimamura Houjo, sixteen, one of the quintuplets, said, 'I can vouch for myself and I can vouch for my brother. Katsu-niichan is the kindest, most generous, and most selfless brother I could ask for, and he deserves better than these gold diggers. I myself understand that there are too many fish in the sea for me to obsess over just one girl. She was probably lying about being raped anyway. Katsu-niichan is right; she was just after our money.'

"Shimamura Ippei, seventeen, eldest of all the brothers, said, 'Houjo-kun is a good kid. He's probably telling the truth. He looks up to me, and I do my best to set a good example. To tell you the truth, women are cockteasers who dress up prettily and then complain when you react to their charms. If they don't want some manly attention, then they better start wearing potato sacks! Oh, and I don't think it's Ennosuke-kun either. That kid is still a virgin; he still has mom's milk in his mouth!'"

"Are you sure it wasn't the eldest that did it? He sounds like the guiltiest one of all the brothers, quintuplets or no quintuplets," Natsuki deadpanned as she gripped her pen tightly.

* * *

**To be Continued...**

_Next: _ The investigation of unsolved mysteries.

Certain sites don't really consider Yakumo to be as powerful (he barely makes it to A-Level) as this fic portrays him, and with good reason: the "Poltergeist Report" movie is theoretically set before the Black Chapter Saga, so it'd make sense that Yusuke was far too weak to really give Yakumo a run for his money.

Still, I'd like to contend that analysis with the fact that Yusuke had to artificially power himself and his comrades up with the Meikai Crystal to fully defeat the Demon God. Furthermore, I'm following SNES canon, where Yakumo was the final boss of the game "Yuyu Hakusho 4 Final". A final boss cannot possibly be weaker than regular, selectable players (which Raizen, Yomi, Mukuro, and Sensui... four infamous S-Levels... were).

_May kailangan pa ba akong sabihin?_  
**Abdiel**


	23. Chapter 22

**Demon Sword**

A Yuyu Hakusho/Rurouni Kenshin Crossover Fan Fiction by Chester Castañeda

Original Concept by Chad Yang

Insert author notes here.

_Disclaimer: Yuyu Hakusho is the rightful property of Yoshihiro Togashi, Shueisha, Fuji TV, and St. Pierrot. Rurouni Kenshin is the rightful property of Nobuhiro Watsuki and Sony. This disclaimer also covers all the other copyrighted material that are far too many to mention here. Don't sue me please, I'm very poor._

* * *

**Chapter 22: Smile Bomb (Part 4)**

* * *

_Nearly two weeks after the attack at Genkai's temple, at the Shinjuku Yamabuki High School Library... _

"...Finally, the victim's name is Kishida Miki, age sixteen. Her sister, Kishida Katsumi, age fifteen, was the one who went to the police to report a possible rape and murder in the hands of the Shimamura quintuplets after she was informed of Kishida-shi's death," Likka concluded.

"Okay, so only _three_ of them are telling the truth, right? That was what the victim's ex-boyfriend said after just one glance at the police report." Natsuki exhaled. "That's our foremost lead, huh?"

Likka nodded to Natsuki. "Yeah, that's what the one other witness said before he died."

Natsuki rolled her sleeves and nodded to herself. "It's time for us to use Occam's razor to cut through all the nonsense and discover the single truth."

Likka slammed her fist into her palm. "Right, Occam's razor! I heard about that during our logic lesson. Um, that's the one that says that the simplest answer is usually the correct answer, right?"

"Well, not 'simple' in layman's terms, but simple in the sense that it's the solution that has the fewest new assumptions. 'Entities must not be multiplied beyond necessity' and all that."

Likka put her hands on her hips. "Okay, now you just lost me, Tsuki-chan. Speak in plain Japanese, please."

Natsuki chuckled as she did her best to express her ideas to Likka in the simplest terms possible, even to the point of representing Occam's razor the way laypeople understood it. From there, the young girl's analytical mind concluded the following things that she immediately wrote down on a piece of paper:

**Akahito: **Ennosuke is guilty.

**Katsuhiko:** I did it.

**Doi:** It was either Katsuhiko or Houjo.

**Ennosuke: **Bunjiro isn't telling the truth.

**Fumio: **Katsuhiko is guilty.

**Goemon: **It was not Katsuhiko.

**Houjo:** It was neither Katsuhiko nor I.

**Ippei: **Houjo is telling the truth. And it wasn't Ennosuke, either.

**Bunjiro: **It was not Ennosuke.

"Oh yeah, now that you've listed them up and all, it does make it easier to pick their confessions apart," Likka observed while scratching her chin. "Then again, that's not saying much. It's still a mess of contradicting confessions. How are we supposed to find the killer using these?"

"Well, we have to keep in mind that only five of them are the suspects, so we can narrow down the possible killer fairly easily. Either that, or depend on the 'Only three of them are telling the truth' premise. Either way works." Natsuki underlined the names of Akahito, Katsuhiko, Doi, Houjo, and Ennosuke with a red pen to indicate that they were the quintuplets in question.

"Now I'm even more confused. Do we _only_ take the words of the quintuplets as truth or something? How about the other brothers? I mean, look at this mess! Just look at it! It's a jumble of names and accusations! You might as well have cut up a phonebook's residential listings and pasted them together!"

The unflappable Natsuki disagreed. "Not at all. It's a rather simple premise. Three of these people are telling the truth, and the rest of them are lying. We can use the process of elimination to pick out the liars from the ones who are saying the truth; we only have five options, after all, and not all of the quintuplets are being accused."

"Okay, fine. Let's put that theory to the test, shall we? Akahito says that Ennosuke is guilty, but then Bunjiro says Ennosuke is not guilty! They can't be both lying, and they can't be both telling the truth! I don't understand this puzzle at all!" Likka nearly tore at her braided hair in frustration. "Look, and Katsuhiko and Fumio are doing the same thing! Oh, even Houjo's and Doi's statements are contradicting each other! These confessions were intentionally made to confuse people, Tsuki-chan!"

Natsuki then narrowed her eyes and bit her lip. "Actually, if the deceased witness were able to identify that only three people were telling the truth right away, these confessions might as well have spelled out the killer's name on them."

Likka tilted at the list again, unused to thinking of people as mere names with no faces or personalities. "So... Katsuhiko is the murderer? I mean, he himself confessed, Fumio corroborated his story, and Doi is saying it was either him or Houjo, so that makes three! Katsuhiko is the guilty one!"

Natsuki scanned her list before shaking her head. "Nope."

Likka pouted while stomping her foot loud enough to nearly catch the librarian's attention. "Why? It checks out with what the ex-boyfriend says. Only three people are telling the truth, and Katsuhiko himself has confessed, so I'm right! He's been betrayed by a gold digger before, so it's more than likely that once he found out that the victim was also a gold digger, he killed her immediately because of his previous trauma. My reasoning is flawless! Why do you think I'm wrong?"

"You said so yourself: Akahito says that Ennosuke is guilty, and Bunjiro says that Ennosuke isn't guilty; if it were Katsuhiko who did it, then that means Bunjiro is telling the truth, which also means that _four_ people are telling the truth there, not just three," Natsuki systematically broke down Likka's theory with one shot.

"So who did it? It doesn't even matter that there are only five suspects; all nine of these children have mucked up their confessions so thoroughly that nobody could be implicated by them!" Likka blinked as something occurred to her. "So is this a trick question or something? None of them are actually guilty and they've been leading on the police all this time because they're a bunch of rich, spoiled brats?"

"Relax, Likka-tan. Occam's razor, remember? Let's talk about the possible motives later; we need to solve this puzzle first." Natsuki got out another piece of yellow pad. "Let's round up all the conflicting confessions, remembering that at least one in a given pair of opposing statements is true... like so." The girl rearranged the names so that the contradicting confessions came one after the other, pair by pair.

"Hey, there are two people against one who are saying that Katsuhiko did it: Fumio and Katsuhiko himself against Goemon. How do we pair them up?"

"This actually helps simplify our case further. Because only three people should be the ones telling the truth, and there are already two people who's vouching that Katsuhiko did it, then Katsuhiko is more likely not the killer because too many people are vouching for him for the 'only three people are telling the truth' factor to work. That means that the first true statement we have is that Katsuhiko didn't do it."

After a few hours of intense debate and using the process of elimination to narrow down the true suspect, Natsuki underlined the final solution Likka came up with. "You're right. Now that you've eliminated all of the possibilities and established which statements are irrevocably false, finding out the truth is quite easy," the girl with braided hair cheered.

Giggling, Likka bit her thumb's nail as she looked at the completed list. "They might as well have confessed who it was after the ex-boyfriend told the police that three of them were telling the truth. We have to show this to the police. You'll be coming with me, because I won't be able to explain things are clearly as you just did."

"What? _Again_? Civilians aren't supposed to do police work!" Natsuki protested, remembering how hard it was for her to get the police to take her seriously without the help of Likka's detective brother-in-law to help.

"Nonsense. Amateur detectives have always been asked to help the police with crimes! Don't you watch TV? The Zodiac Killer case also used the help of amateur detectives as well as the professionals, I'll have you know!" Likka blabbered, which made Natsuki bead up perspiration large enough to possibly leave her dehydrated. "Besides, I want to see the look on Uncle Jiji's face when he finds out that we've beaten him to the punch and discovered who the killer is before he did!"

'Heh. It's more than likely that Daiji-sempai had already figured out the whole thing as soon as the ex-boyfriend confessed and is now looking for evidence to back up that one lead.' Natsuki's lips shrunk into a moue of consternation.

'He probably _didn't_ tell his fellow officers what he found out because of the lack of evidence. Even if I were able to convince the police to agree with my solution to this puzzle, it's still the ex-boyfriend's word against the brothers' words; just another statement added to nine others. There has to be some way I can make the true killer slip up and confess to his crimes...'

* * *

_One week after the attack at Genkai's temple, in the Human World, at the Minamino-Hatenaka residence... _

Kurama grabbed hold of his head as his eyes struggled hard to focus on the double image before him while his head throbbed inside his skull like a second heartbeat. Meanwhile, flashes of silvery hair that glittered gold in the light danced in front of his mental vision, a clawed hand grabbing hold of the toddler-like ruler of the Spirit World.

"Oh, good! You're finally back! Thank Izanagi, I thought we'd have to leave you here all asleep until your folks came back!" came the relieved exclamation of everyone's favorite blue-haired, red-eyed, and pink-kimono-wearing goddess of death.

"Botan! Wait, I'm _back_? Where was I?" Kurama winced and palmed his face as a renewed wave of nausea overwhelmed him. 'Where am I?' The rose-haired teenager took stock of his surroundings, which then eased his trepidation; the pencil cases, pen containers, bookshelf, bed, cabinet, curtains, and potted plants were all his, or at least the property of his other self, Shuichi Minamino. He was back home at the shared residence that his stepfather and, well, "foster" mother were currently sharing at the moment.

Out of the blue, Kurama stood up in automatic readiness... an instinct borne out of his seasoned experience when it came to handling sneak attacks back when he was still considered a powerful bandit king of sorts... when he felt movement at the corner of his eyes, his dainty hand already holding the stem of the rose hidden in his long hair. He afterwards blanched at the person before him.

"K-Kenshin!" the young adult with rose-red hair exclaimed at the not-so-young spirit guardian with the orange-red tresses. "W-What are you doing out of your sword? Shouldn't you be...?"

"K-Kurama-dono! Ah... I'm glad that you're back," Kenshin mumbled, his purple eyes darting back and forth at the floor and at the teenaged half-demon.

From there, it all came flooding back to Kurama... or, at least the part where he went to the Spirit World to fetch the Youtou Shinnoken and then unsheathed it at the request of the long-dead specter of his former ally, Kuronue.

Because the half-youko tended to be a quick study when it came to puzzles and secrets, he promptly put two and two together and figured out that Kenshin was currently in the possession of Botan, which was why the spirit guardian managed to have a corporeal form. At that point, Kurama confronted the shinigami outright, his human heart palpitating with an inexplicable feeling of dread.

"What happened to me after I pulled the Demon Sword out of its sheath?" was the question Kurama asked that Botan and her "tenant", Kaoru Kamiya, had a very hard time answering.

"Y-You don't remember what happened at all, Kurama?" Botan ventured, her eyebrow raised more in wariness than in suspicion.

Kenshin was the second to speak of the "trio". "Well, you went a little berserk after drawing the sword, Kurama-dono. Apparently, our mind-meld was just part of the effects of the Youtou Shinnoken on you. By unsheathing it altogether, you were able to completely unleash the powers and original form of the fox demon you once were."

Kurama's face drained itself of color until it was as white as freshly plowed snow. "The youko returned when I pulled the Demon Sword out? That's the reaction that my body got from the weapon when I did that?"

Botan waxed contemplative as she remarked, "That's actually the main function of the Youtou Shinnoken, isn't it? Like Iehik said, it's supposed to be like a magnifying lens that enhances your powers to greater heights." She gulped, remembering that she actually checked the redheaded fox demon avatar's power level with the spirit energy tracker she had on hand.

Seemingly reading Botan's mind, Kurama questioned, "What was my power level at that point? You were able to scan it at the time, weren't you?"

After a few seconds of hesitation, Botan revealed, "It was over S-Level. S-Plus, to be exact; upper echelon, conqueror class. You were around the same power level as Raizen, Mukuro, and..."

"...Yomi," Kurama finished for Botan as he sat back down on his bed and contemplated the implications of this latest event. Had he lost control of his senses after brandishing the naked blade of the Youtou Shinnoken? Furthermore, wasn't this what he wanted from the start eighteen-odd years ago? To gain power comparable to that of the Three Kings of the Demon World?

'I did. I went to the Human World to hunt for a prize that would've led to the next evolution of Youko Kurama's legend. Had I possessed the Demon Sword, the balance of power between the Three Kings of Makai would've shifted and, with any luck, I would've ended up becoming supreme ruler. That very dream had been handed down to me on a silver platter a few moments ago, but do I still want that dream of mine? Is it still my dream?'

Unbeknownst to the half-youko, Botan refrained from revealing to him that the S-Plus rating she got was the base level of his power and, had he unleashed even more of his magnified potential, he could've went way beyond that threshold to the point of reaching the power known only to entities like Yakumo, Enma Daio, Amida Nyorai, Daruma, Susanoo, Tsukiyomi, Amaterasu, Uzume, Tenjin, Fujin, Raijin, Ryujin, Izanami, and Izanagi: The Power of the Gods and Goddesses, the Alpha and Omega Class, X-Level.

That made sense, after all... a D-Class can turn into a B-Class thanks to the sword, so it was only natural that an S-Class half-youkai like Kurama could go even higher than that. Had the Youtou Shinnoken reacted to Yusuke normally, then he would've acquired the same type of power as well.

Of course, Kurama's instincts flared with all the usual warning signals that something was amiss. "What happened after the youko inside me awakened?" he picked his words carefully, alarmed by the fact that when he transformed back to his fox demon self, he couldn't remember a thing.

This hadn't happened before; this hadn't happened in a long time, actually. The last time he transformed into his former glory was when he fought against Shigure in the Demon World Unification Tournament.

This harkened back to the time when Kurama's youko self was fighting against his adopted human form's self. His biorhythm indicated that the "real" Kurama was slowly but surely taking over "Shuichi's" body ever since the Dark Martial Arts Tournament where "he" first appeared, and his condition even worsened after meeting with his old comrade, Yomi.

Like a schizophrenic or even a sufferer of bipolar disorder, the intervals between Kurama acting more like his demon counterpart and behaving like his human self had shortened to the point that he could've "snapped" and changed back to the legendary youko at any time.

He never did, though, thanks to his decision while fighting the surgeon behind Hiei's third eye... to seal his demon self and live the rest of Shuichi Minamino's life as a normal human being. Had he made the right decision, though? Should he have abandoned his mother, stepfather, and stepbrother in order to become truer to himself? He had no idea.

Kurama was roused from his deliberations once Botan mustered the courage to talk. However, his senses indicated that someone else had taken over the ferry-girl's body judging by her atypical body language, gait, and swagger more reminiscent of a sporty, tomboyish girl than the fun-loving shinigami.

"Y-Your other self... the tall one with silver hair and narrowed golden eyes... almost finished off Koenma, the Lord of the Dead, using the Demon Sword," Botan disclosed before backtracking and muttering, "Don't listen to what I'm saying, Kurama! I'm a bit frazzled and confused by the events! Kaoru, it's... t-too soon, you blabbermouth!"

* * *

_Two weeks after the attack at Genkai's temple, inside the Metropolitan Police Department's Shinjuku Police Station during the afternoon... _

"Okay. It looks like there isn't much we can do now," the fifty-two-year-old Inspector Masaya Taniguchi of the Criminal Investigation Bureau groused as he took one more look at the "confessions" presented to him. The siblings' outright attempts at perjury and obstruction of justice grated on his nerves, but then again, none of the Shimamura brothers were of legal age and they were all considered, under Japanese Law, juveniles.

Therefore, any offenses outside of the very serious crimes like rape and murder would be dealt with through Family Court and protective measures that, when used on an adult, would be considered as mere slaps on the wrist. 'They can lie and give false testimony all they want, but once one of them is proven guilty of killing both the rape victim and her former boyfriend, then the kid gloves are off.'

"Where the hell is Detective Matsudaira? We haven't gotten a breakthrough since the victim's ex-boyfriend waltzed in here as a witness of sorts," the rotund, tomato-nosed, and tan-skinned inspector grumbled as he filled his lungs with smoke from his stogie.

Akio Oogata, the victim's ex-boyfriend, had arrived in a pompous and blustery fashion along with the victim's fifteen-year-old sister, Katsumi Kishida, a week ago. Then, just a few days later, he was found dead and mutilated in an alleyway within Kabukicho, sporting the very same "Hon" markings as Miki Kishida.

With that said, police suspected that one of the quintuplets perpetrated the second murder as well, save for the fact that the murder weapon used on Oogata was starkly different from the weapon used against the deceased Kishida... a katana instead of a kitchen knife.

'It seems awfully convenient that once Oogata-shi introduced himself to the Shimamuras, he got himself killed by the Kanji Killer.' With that said, the Shinjuku inspector had a hunch why his best detective was distracted by the recent turn of events.

"I'm afraid Matsudaira-kun had gone off to further investigate the circumstances behind the murder of Oogata Akio-shi, inspector," the buxom, thick-lipped, and sultry-voiced Detective Aiko Tsunemoto informed with a smile that belied the seeming concern of her question. 'First come, first served, Matsudaira-kun. I hope there are no hard feelings once I crack this case,' she purred to herself.

Taniguchi rolled his eyes. It was as he suspected. "We have no time to cater to personal vendettas. We have a case to solve right now." The inspector harrumphed.

A crisp slap was heard inside the interrogation room wherein the entire Shimamura clan, their attorneys, the last surviving member of the Kishida family, and her legal representative stayed.

Both Inspector Taniguchi and Detective Tsunemoto hurried into the middle of the commotion, only to see the smarmy Officer Shigetaka Uye bowing and apologizing to the Shimamura lawyers while the tall Officer Takumi Hamada held the crying Katsumi back as she attempted to slap Kunihiko Shimamura, the Shimamura patriarch, for a second time.

"How dare you? How dare you sully the good name of my sister and our family with your lies? The Shimamura quintuplets' identities are protected by law, so the media can't even publish their names! There was no point in defaming my sister!" the fifteen-year-old Katsumi screamed while Officer Hamada maintained a firm grip on her.

The more Katsumi thought about the Shimamura clan's absolute betrayal of her sister's memory, the angrier she got. Because Japanese law protected juvenile delinquents' identities yet didn't extend the same courtesy to their victims, her sister Miki was currently being victimized by the sensationalist media and a patriarchal society that forbade its women from being able to call for help while being molested inside public transportation because they might cause a ruckus and disturb other passengers.

"I'm really sorry about this, Mister Shimamura! I didn't expect her to make a scene," Officer Uye assured the Shimamura patriarch as he interposed himself between the livid Katsumi and the disheveled-but-complacent Kunihiko. Even though the officer attempted to straighten the forty-two-year-old tycoon's business suit, he was brusquely brushed away by the older man.

"Please. Can you even prove any of the accusations you're hurling at me and my family? Your actions are unbecoming of a lady. I should've expected as much from the sister of a loose woman." Kunihiko flinched as Katsumi took another swing at him, but the facemask-wearing Officer Hamada deftly intercepted the attempt.

"More rumors and lies! It was the teachers at school that tried to take advantage of the fact that my sister was a working student and she was struggling in her classes because of her work schedule!" Katsumi ground her teeth and tensed her body.

Screw social expectations; her sister had been victimized enough by society looking down on her and her actions! Katsumi wouldn't let the sacrifices of Miki to get her a better education go in vain.

His nose upturned, Kunihiko straightened his collar and sneered at the young girl. "Is that what your sister told you? You're too naive. That's not what my researchers discovered. She's a social climber who wanted to sleep with men who had significant influence in order to improve her lot in life."

In the background, the eldest quintuplet... Katsuhiko... winced and looked away. "Unfortunately for her, her plans all backfired in her face. You're still here to cash in, though, which is something that I won't let happen."

"Your researchers...? Then you _were_ feeding the media with all that bile, hate, and half-truths, you SNAKE IN THE GRASS!"

Katsumi screamed while also demanding Officer Hamada to release her. The lanky, face-obscured cop that kept the rape-slay victim's sister from tearing Mister Shimamura's eyes out sniffled and cleared his throat, which prompted Inspector Taniguchi to warn him about his recent cold and to take things easy.

* * *

_One week after the attack at Genkai's temple, in the Human World, at the Minamino-Hatenaka residence... _

Kurama licked his lips and grabbed hold of half of his face. "I did that? I can't believe that I... and I don't remember at all? But why? I'm him! He's me! And I've decided to... not be him any longer." He realized that he'd just answered his own question as to why Youko Kurama did what he did; he betrayed his other self in order to live out the rest of his life as a human.

Kurama repressed a shiver as his blood turned cold at the thought that the person he once was... the man he swore was a part of him, his dark id and Mister Edward Hyde of sorts... had finally been unleashed without him being the wiser; an independent personality separate from his present consciousness.

The rose-haired redhead felt the comforting grasp of a fiery redhead's hand. "Don't worry, Kurama. I understand," said Kenshin.

"I guess you'd have to, since we were one and the same man for at least a couple of minutes," Kurama remarked with a smirk, remembering that Kenshin and he had shared one mind, body, soul, and consciousness at one point.

"Well, yeah... _that_ and the fact that I myself have gone through the same thing you've experienced when it came to dealing with your shadowy self. I'm sure you remember the Battousai, correct?" Kenshin replied in kind at the man who shared his voice, his effeminate face, and his methodical countenance.

Kurama looked down on the floor and nodded slowly in agreement, remembering that Kenshin himself had his own problems with his other self: the supposed Hitokiri Battousai (who eventually became the Youkiri Battousai if his revived rival Hajime Saito were to be believed). In many ways, Youko Kurama and Battousai Himura were very much alike.

However, shouldn't Youko Kurama be considered as Doctor Henry Jekyll, and Shuichi, the human version, Mister Edward Hyde? Kurama wasn't sure... or perhaps the mere notion frightened him too much to even acknowledge it.

After a short while, Kurama clarified, "Unlike Battousai, who was borne out of Himura Kenshin, Minamino Shuichi was borne out of Youko Kurama and not the other way around. You're looking at the shadowy self of my true self. I've become the mask."

"I don't know about you guys, but I have no idea what you're talking about. Shadowy self? You've become the mask? Are you trying to tell me that the scary, white-haired demon I saw just hours ago is who you really are, Kurama-san?" the Kaoru inside Botan commented as she palmed her forehead and tried desperately to sum up in her head what was being discussed.

Kurama raised an eyebrow at Botan and blinked. "What are you so confused about? You should already know all this by now. You were there when my demonic self first manifested itself after decades of dormancy, remember?"

"Ah! No, you don't understand, Kurama! That wasn't me talking just now!" Botan stammered, inwardly glaring at the stowaway spirit residing inside her shinigami soul. "That was... Kaoru. Kamiya Kaoru. A... good friend of Kenshin. For one reason or another, when I take possession of the Demon Sword, she pops up. No idea why, but that crazy artifact reacts differently to different people every time anyway."

Kurama sighed with a half-smile of sorts. 'Oh great. All three of us here have split personalities.' To Botan, he reiterated, "Okay. Settle down. I believe you, Botan. So your, uh, new friend isn't up to speed in regards to who I am and who Kurama, well, Youko Kurama is, right?"

"Don't worry. I'll explain everything to her," Kenshin piped up before turning towards Botan and addressing Kaoru. "From what I can glean from the brief 'bonding' time I had with Kurama, this human form of his is an avatar for his wounded kitsune soul."

"K-Kitsune? You mean like... M-Megumi-chan?" Kaoru queried, remembering Megumi Takani's alias among their group. She almost scoffed at the idea that legendary creatures truly exist even though she herself was stuck in even more unbelievable circumstances. "I mean, so he's a demon? How did he get a human avatar? Why was he wounded? Is this a normal occurrence for kitsune?"

"Whenever a kitsune spirit manifests itself into physical form, it has three options. He could go into animal form, the demonic form you say you've seen earlier on, or by possessing creatures. Some kitsune can even change form at will, but that comes at the price of not having an identity to call their own," Kurama said, somewhat fascinated with the idea of "meeting" someone without seeing them.

Her curiosity piqued, Botan pushed Kaoru back into the back of their shared consciousness and asked Kurama, "Come to think of it, I never did learn what's the deal with your kitsune avatar and the baby possession thing. Don't get me wrong, Kurama; I still think you're one of the good guys, but please do tell us how you came to be."

Kurama obliged. "I've been human for nearly two decades now. A kitsune can take over the body of a child or a fox... either very young, or even the unborn. This method is the least difficult way for a kitsune to manifest, plus it's useful to me because I was at death's door at the time I was forced to manifest in some form other than my original self."

Then, Kurama stared straight into Botan's pink eyes up until he could see a hint of blue fire in them. "In regards to 'murdering' the soul of the possessed creature, there have been instances where the kitsune and his avatar merged into a hybrid creature of sorts. Whether you want to view my relationship with Minamino Shuichi as symbiotic or parasitic is wholly up to you."

"This is the first time I've encountered a real-life kitsune myself, Kaoru-dono... and one that possessed the body of a human child, to boot! It was fascinating to pick through the brain of a demon turned human and seeing firsthand the battle between good and evil inside of him!" Unbeknownst to Kenshin, he'd said the exact wrong thing to Botan's and Youko Kurama's respective alter egos.

Simultaneously, Kurama and Kaoru exclaimed the following statements:

"It's an oversimplification to label my demon side and my human side as 'good' and 'evil'. It's a lot more complicated than that, Kenshin!"

"You mean that monster who almost killed Koenma actually took over an unborn human baby like some sort of body snatcher too?" asked Kaoru.

A half-second later, the two "alter egos" faced each other and demanded, "What did you say?"

Kenshin dove in between both the fearful Kaoru and the flabbergasted Kurama even though he didn't have a clue on how to defuse the potentially explosive confrontation.

"I did _what_ now?" Kurama couldn't help but yell at Botan... or Kaoru. Whoever she was at the moment. "You've got to be kidding me. I almost killed Koenma as the youko? Why would I do such a thing? What would that accomplish?"

The ferry-girl visibly winced at Kurama's display of aggravation, and the rosy redhead couldn't tell which "personality" of hers compelled her to do so. However, did it really matter?

If what she said was true, then all he was doing was confirming to her that he was the monster that tried to assassinate the Lord of the Dead himself. "I'm sorry for my outburst. Is there any proof of what you're saying, Bo... Kaoru? That's your name, right?"

* * *

_Two weeks after the attack at Genkai's temple, inside the Metropolitan Police Department's Shinjuku Police Station during the afternoon... _

"As for you two, you should both calm down! The death of Oogata-shi changes nothing in this case. In accordance to all the testimonies given to us, Katsuhiko is our number one suspect because most of his siblings testified against him. We'll handle Oogata-shi's murder as a case separate from Kishida-shi's rape-slay because of evidence linking the actual Kanji Killer to the crime," came the inspector's ultimatum.

"But Inspector, how about Oogata-shi's testimony?" was what Detective Tsunemoto brought up, remembering what her fellow detective was preoccupied with before the grim specter of the Kanji Killer reared his ugly head and murdered the police's one other witness. "He took a look at the testimonies and declared that only three of the nine brothers were telling the truth."

"That's a non-issue. What Oogata-shi said merely confirms our earlier suspicions, and it even fits perfectly with what he confessed in regards to the rape-slay case," Officer Shigetaka interjected as he looked at Detective Tsunemoto as though he were talking to a child. "He said that only three of the nine brothers were telling the truth, right? Well, those three are Fumio-kun, Doi-kun, and Katsuhiko-kun himself. We already have our suspect."

"Like hell you'll get my Katsuhiko! He'd already been burned by a gold digger before, so there's no way he'll even touch that money-grubbing whore!" Kunihiko pledged as he pushed his team of lawyers forward. "Well? What am I paying you clowns for? Defend my son!"

The Shimamura family's head lawyer shuffled forward and declared in monotone, "We will cooperate with the authorities, but the bottom line here is that there's little to no evidence linking _any_ of the Shimamura quintuplets to Kishida Miki-shi save for her sister's accusations and testimonies that amount to nothing more than speculation from all nine siblings. We still haven't gotten the whole picture yet, but we're confident that in the end of the day, this case will be dismissed."

"I don't know about that, honey. From our own research of the Shimamura family, Mister Shimamura has had a penchant for collecting mistresses on the side, and quite a lot of the boys hardly have stellar disciplinary records as well. Even if they're to be tried as juveniles by Family Court, the apple probably doesn't fall far from the tree, as evidenced by the fact that your quintuplets are all bastard children," Katsumi's court-assigned legal representative countered. If they wanted to play hardball, then so be it; let the airing of dirty laundry commence.

It was at that point that the self-assured smile on Kunihiko's face warped and distorted into a frothing, jowl-flapping mess that compelled him to "switch roles" with Katsumi this time around and attempt to strangle Katsumi's lawyer in cold blood. Of course, Inspector Taniguchi immediately held the fuming businessman back.

"Who the hell are you? Damn ambulance chaser! Know your place, harlot! You know nothing about me and my family! You'll rue the day you've messed with the Shimamura Zaibatsu! There will come a time when I'll do serious harm to your career."

"Your idle threats mean nothing to me, Mister Shimamura. Your attitude towards women... your outright misogyny, even... must've carried over to your sons from the way you raised them. I don't care if you have an entire conglomerate and unlimited resources to back you up." Katsumi's attorney rolled her eyes and stood her ground, her hand finding its way to Katsumi's and squeezing it encouragingly.

"I'm sick and tired of having an outdated system of law that sides with the rapist instead of the rape victim more often than not. Even though it's already too late for Miss Kishida, I will at the very least be on her sister's side in honor of her memory, fighting the good fight until the end."

Kunihiko growled, "Idle threats? You have no idea what you're talking about. You've made a big mistake. Watch your back. Your comeuppance is at hand. Once you end up jobless and with a broken reputation, I will call you and tell you it was me." Subsequently, the unmistakable peal of womanly laughter was heard from behind the arguing parties of Mister Shimamura and the last surviving Kishida. "What's so funny, Hikaru?"

Hikaru Shimamura (nee Shinohara) held her palm perpendicular to her chin as she laughed to her heart's content over her husband's flabbergasted state. "OHOHOHOHOHO! Well, you are, my dear! You're simply hilarious. You're actually threatening a lowly prosecutor's career just because she said the truth about your past indiscretions. I haven't seen you so beside yourself with fake rage and obvious defensiveness since I last caught you cheating with your favorite tramp."

"I don't want to talk about the past, most especially inside a police station!" Kunihiko hissed, his right hand twitching as he gave his wife a warning glare before he backed down once he came to his senses and saw all the cops surrounding him. "You weren't the one who supplied this bitch with all that information about our family, were you?"

"I can't say I did, although I am glad that this happened to you even though I played no part in it," said Hikaru with a disdainful sneer. "And don't you dare use that tone of voice on me. The Shimamura Financial Group wouldn't have gotten as big as it is now without my hand in marriage and the merging of the Shinohara Corporation with your failing zombie firm. As I've expected, your quintuplets have proven themselves as nothing but trouble, just like their mother."

"Don't you dare talk about our mother like that," the long-silent eldest quintuplet of the Shimamura family (and the police's prime suspect in the rape and murder of Miki Kishida)... Katsuhiko Shimamura, age sixteen... finally spoke up. "Don't you have any respect for the dead, Hikaru-san?"

* * *

_One week after the attack at Genkai's temple, in the Human World, at the Minamino-Hatenaka residence... _

"We don't have much in the way of proof, but I can confirm that we all witnessed you transforming into... Youko Kurama, is it? Yes, we definitely saw that," Kenshin interposed, leaving out the part where he was half-impressed yet half-intimidated by the fact that Kurama wielded the Demon Sword's power in an even more efficient manner than Yusuke did way back when.

"No, no! I know I'm the relative newcomer of this group, but isn't this guy someone we should be wary of?" Kaoru insisted, and Botan herself was powerless to stop the stubborn girl's flare-up of sorts. "Am I missing something here? He took over the life of an unborn child like some sort of wolf in sheep's clothing! He almost killed Koenma Daio with Kenshin's sword! I don't know what he did to earn your trust, Botan, but maybe he's showing his true colors right now!"

Botan decided it was her turn to berate the person residing inside her mind. "Now look here, missy! Don't you dare bad mouth Kurama like that; he's been through a lot. He's no murderer of babies. Look in my memories and see the truth! He loves humans, especially his mother! Kurama may have struggled to do the right thing before when Yusuke and I first met him, but he always came through with good intentions behind his actions in the end."

The ferry-girl paused and waited for a response. Getting none, she continued. "Didn't you say that Kurama reminded you of Kenshin? Well, like Kenshin, he also had a shady past but has now reformed himself to be a better member of society! I'm sure he has a perfectly logical explanation regarding the incident. Isn't that right, Kura...?"

The trio... technically a duo if you count only Botan and Kenshin, or even a foursome if you count Kaoru, Botan, Kenshin, and Battousai... afterwards saw Kurama collapse on his knees, his body shuddering from the weight of his own realization.

From within Botan's mind, she felt Kaoru metaphorically backpedal, a wave of nostalgia that wasn't her own filling her insides, the visage of Kenshin juxtaposed yet again to Kurama's own face. 'I guess that scary man with silver hair isn't anything like Kurama after all... just like Battousai is to Kenshin, huh?'

"This isn't supposed to happen. I've abandoned that life. I've decided to live my life as a human. The dream I had a while ago showed me merging with the youko, not breaking myself apart from him. This doesn't make any sense."

"Then you shouldn't consider your youko self to be your other you or even the original you," Kenshin reasoned. "He's a part of you, and he is you. There's darkness in all of our hearts, demon or human alike, and the reason why you feel like the youko is separate from who you are now is because of how much you've changed while living your human life; I'm merely presuming, of course. We've only bonded for a short time, so I can only guess what you've been through."

It was Botan's turn to feel sheepish over her actions... or in this case, her lack of action. In one paragraph, Kenshin was able to sum up who Kurama was in terms of light and darkness; something that she should've done, considering that she'd been around the red-haired teenager longer than either the rurouni or the kendo master living inside her brain.

Kurama couldn't help but chuckle at Kenshin's elaborate theory. "Huh. You do understand." Smiling, he plopped his back on the side of his bed while sitting on the floor before his expression turned ominous.

"Kenshin, how would you react if your other self became a separate personality altogether instead of being a facet of you? What if Battousai the Manslayer... or even Battousai the Demon-Slayer... lived outside of your consciousness?"

Kenshin stared at Kurama for what seemed like forever before answering, "I'm not sure. I guess I can accept my other self, but if push came to shove and he went against the principles I hold, then he must be dealt with. Why do you ask? Do you want to deal with your demon self before he hurts anyone?"

Kurama's crooked mouth and razor-sharp green eyes spoke volumes. "Didn't I just tell you? I'm the other self in this scenario. I was just wondering what Youko Kurama would do to me now that he's... well, I've become a separate entity altogether from him. He's already made his move. Just how were you able to stop me... him... from harming Koenma anyway?"

At that moment, for one reason or another, both the faces of Kenshin and Botan... or probably Kaoru, Kurama wasn't sure... turned beet red as they faced opposite directions. This baffled the kitsune quite a bit, which was a feeling he rarely ever encountered.

After a few minutes, Kenshin managed to squeak out, "The sword switched owners. From what I can gather, you can only turn into the silver-haired fox demon after you've unsheathed the Youtou Shinnoken from its scabbard. Now that the sword is in Botan's possession, I'm now in my physical form."

"I... I see," Kurama reluctantly acknowledged even though he was still deathly curious about Kenshin and the twin-personality ferry-girl's reaction concerning his question. "Fine, you were able to take the sword and give it to Botan. So why do you have the Youtou Shinnoken within my arm's reach? Shouldn't you have locked me away instead and put that artifact as far away from me as possible?"

"Well, I for one have the same question!" was the quip Kaoru never had a chance to say thanks to Botan's force of will. At any rate, the trio or duo looked at each other in stunned silence before facing the half-youko and bracing themselves for the subsequent response.

"I'm afraid after the attempt on his life, Koenma specifically ordered us to help you out with the mission _with_ the Youtou Shinnoken in tow," the ex-vagabond informed.

Kurama was beside himself with lividness. "WHY? That doesn't make a lick of sense, Kenshin! According to you, I almost murdered Koenma. If anything, I should be in lock and key by now."

"...Not that _that_ would've made any difference, knowing your legendary thievery skills," Botan innocently noted.

"...That's beside the point! Keep the Demon Sword away from me! Regardless of whatever magic was put in there, it's quite obvious that I couldn't handle its might and it makes me drunk with unmitigated power. I can complete any mission Reikai gives me just fine without having to look after an artifact that could kill us all! I don't even know why Koenma would even order such a thing!"

Botan furrowed her eyebrows in concern over Kurama's uncharacteristic overreaction. However, she herself was having second thoughts about Koenma's plans as well. "Actually, Koenma-sama was very... excited about you reacting to the Youtou Shinnoken the way you did. He even shielded you from getting tackled and vaporized by Captain Ootake of the Bouetai after you transformed back to your human self. He says that your ability to merge with both the personalities of Kenshin and the Battousai will help a lot in the upcoming battle against the Overfiend down the line."

Kaoru chose that instance to put her two yen in the conversation. "He almost assassinated the Lord of the Dead! How sure are we that he can control his bloodlust? I know that he is your friend and all, but can we really trust him when it comes to handling the power of Kenshin's sword? You do realize why this is a bad idea, right?"

"I do," Kurama himself agreed with Kaoru's reasoning. "Although the Chojin is nearly approaching X-Level now thanks to the large amounts of unused negative energy his minions are gathering from the Human World, that doesn't justify letting me get taken over by the corruptive power of the Demon Sword. Kenshin and his weapon must be taken as far away from me as possible despite Koenma's orders."

"I disagree with the both of you," Kenshin declared with gravitas borne out of his decades of human and demon assassination experience. "Koenma-dono believes that you'll someday find a way to take control of the Demon Sword without losing yourself to its power. Kurama, don't you trust yourself enough to be able to handle having the Demon Sword at arm's reach? He essentially gave you the same responsibility that I bear. He trusts you as much as he trusts me."

Kurama turned towards Kenshin and breathed a belated sigh. "With all due respect, I'm not sure if that's such a good idea. I mean, there must be a reason why you were sealed in a shrine for decades' on end in the first place, correct?"

Just then, they heard an enthusiastic series of knocks on the younger redhead's door. It then swung open and revealed the presence of an excited woman in her forties who sported slight scars on her forearms. A fourteen-year-old boy that shared the same first name as Kurama's human alter ego was with her.

"Shuichi! Your stepfather and I brought back some beef sukiyaki yes... Oh my." Shiori Minamino looked at Kurama and the people around him with a half-amused and half-bemused stare as she covered her mouth and shielded Shuichi Hatenaka's eyes from the scene. "I didn't know you had... company. Would either of you two like to join us for breakfast?"

Numbly, both Kenshin and Botan (as well as Kaoru, presumably) shook their heads at the same time, unable to explain themselves, their presence, or even their antiquated getup. Even Kurama appeared flabbergasted by the turn of events.

Nodding primly, Shiori Minamino cooed, "I understand. Um, could you please keep things quiet, Shuichi? Your little brother is home for the weekend. If you want to go out and eat with your lady friends instead, please remember to take your key with you. We can leave some leftovers for you in the fridge if you want."

Even though Kurama was usually the sharp-witted sort, it took him about a minute after his foster mother shut his room's door... murmuring something about boys being boys... before the full implications of what she just assumed of him dawned upon him with the force of a slap to the face. "No, mom! You misunderstood! It's not what it looks like! I'm not... that's not the relationship I have with these people at all!"

And although Kenshin was quite quick on the uptake like Kurama, he also came to a belated realization of Shiori's suppositions as well. "ORO? Lady friends? Dating? Wait a minute... I'm not even a girl!" For her part, the ferry-girl could only blush and giggle in sheepish delight or gleeful embarrassment; she wasn't quite sure which one she actually felt.

* * *

_Two weeks after the attack at Genkai's temple, inside the Metropolitan Police Department's Shinjuku Police Station during the afternoon... _

From behind Katsuhiko Shimamura, the rest of the quintuplets... Houjo, Akahito, Doi, and Ennosuke... congregated together, as they tended to whenever the subject of their legitimacy as family members was brought up by their father's legal wife.

"That's quite funny to hear from the person who may actually be a _murderer_ and a _rapist_; a criminal through and through, if you will." Hikaru snorted at how the bastard sons of her husband huddled together and aimed identical looks that ranged from pleading to hatefulness; she never actually bothered to know which quintuplet was which anyway.

Katsumi Ishida tugged at her lawyer's vest, her eyes swirling with confusion and hesitation over what was happening, but her legal representative merely smiled and gripped her other hand tighter. "Let them fight. They may blurt out something we can use later. Remember, this is all for the sake of getting your sister the justice that she deserves, okay?"

"Like Miss Kishida's gung-ho attorney says, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. I wouldn't expect anything less from that homewrecker's son. Karma works in a straightforward fashion, doesn't it? You five killed your mother during childbirth, and now you're living up to your mother's infamy as well by showing your true colors as criminals and delinquents!"

"Leave my brothers and my mother out of this, Hikaru-san!" came Katsuhiko's stern yet somewhat respectful warning. "You're free to call me whatever you want or even disown me for my actions, but please... don't involve my brothers and my mother with this crime. I'm willing to do time, if that's what it takes."

"HIKARU, THAT'S ENOUGH!" Kunihiko boomed in no uncertain terms. "You will not talk to any of my sons like that! Nothing has been proven yet, and that one other witness they have is already dead. They have no case, and if worse comes to worst, I will bail out whichever of them gets jailed. Katsuhiko, you're not going anywhere except home. I promise you that."

It was Hikaru's turn to spew out a tempest fueled by an injustice of love. "NO! No. You listen to ME! I am sick and tired of you playing favorites with that bitch's sons over the sons I've given you! Legitimate sons of your own flesh and blood that deserve the fortune we've both accumulated far more than those bastards ever will!"

"Stop acting so jealous, Hikaru! It was you who I married, right?" Kunihiko gestured in a not-so-reassuring manner, especially considering the fact that Hikaru just mentioned earlier that they were married out of convenience's sake "Besides, can't you even let bygones be bygones? What's past is past. The quintuplets are here now, and they're not going away if I have any say on it. They're my sons too, even if they aren't yours!"

"If it were up to me, they're not going to get a single yen out of the great steel and textiles fortune I've built thanks to the merger we made! The fact that I'm a majority shareholder and Executive Vice-President of this damn conglomerate shows that I _do_ have a lot of say in it!" Hikaru retorted.

"It's an empire we've _both_ made, and I'm the CEO of this company! What I say goes, and I can veto whatever decision you make at my behest! Don't try my patience, Hikaru!" Kunihiko warned.

"I've seen the will and the way that you treat my sons. Instead of preparing Ippei as the successor of the Shimamura Zaibatsu's steel and construction division, you've instead chosen that bitch's son instead! You might as well have slapped me on the face by doing that, as though Kazuko-chan's children are somehow superior to your actual _legitimate_ sons!"

"Who is Kazuko-chan?" Katsumi, who had long ago been released from Officer Hamada's clutches, whispered to her attorney's ear as they (and the rest of the people who were crammed inside the interrogation room) backed away from the ruckus that the arguing old couple created. She didn't know what to feel about the present turn of events. More to the point, it confused her.

"Hikaru-san is referring to Ichijo Kazuko-chan, her best friend and her husband's mistress," Katsumi's lawyer notified, her eyes gleaming with barely contained glee. "When it comes to powerful people like them, it's best that we fight fire with fire. If they want to sling mud at your sister's good name, then they should be careful, or else some of that mud might end up on themselves as well. Zaibatsu or no zaibatsu, they're as human as the rest of us are."

"Ippei? HA! That slacker? He's more interested in being a leech and spreading his seed than actually manning the company! You have it all wrong; if he only showed the slightest bit of responsibility or business acumen, then I would've gladly handed the company to him. Unfortunately, he's the very definition of a trust-fund baby, so of course I have no choice but to depend on the responsible one among our sons."

"RESPONSIBLE? You're actually calling that suspected rapist and murderer _ responsible_? The only thing he's responsible for is the crimes he confessed that he committed! You must be out of your mind! You're having another bout of temporary insanity, like the time you 'spread your seed' into some other woman from behind my back!" was Hikaru's incredulous and hoarse riposte.

To Kunihiko's consternation, Hikaru's mascara began to run as tears flooded her eyes. "More importantly, DON'T YOU TALK ABOUT MY SON LIKE THAT! He's the oldest of our children, and he's a _legitimate_ heir to your business at that! If you don't want me to insult your _illegitimate_ children, then I expect _at least _the same treatment when talking about your _legitimate_ sons!"

"Mom, stop ragging on both dad and the Japanese Jackson 5. It's not their fault that their mother was some social climber who had her plans of wrecking our home backfire on her at the last minute. They're all cool otherwise," came the backhanded compliment of the Shimamuras' eldest son, Ippei, as he combed his gelled hair back and smiled the same smug grin his father gave Katsumi a while back.

* * *

**To be Continued...**

_Next: More Shimamura Family drama. _

**Fast Fact: **The Shimamura parts were originally reserved for later chapters.

_We're off to find our dreams,_  
**Abdiel**


	24. Chapter 23

**Demon Sword**

A Yuyu Hakusho/Rurouni Kenshin Crossover Fan Fiction by Chester Castañeda

Original Concept by Chad Yang

I suspect this chapter happened because I've been watching too much Detective Conan.

_Disclaimer: Yuyu Hakusho is the rightful property of Yoshihiro Togashi, Shueisha, Fuji TV, and St. Pierrot. Rurouni Kenshin is the rightful property of Nobuhiro Watsuki and Sony. This disclaimer also covers all the other copyrighted material that are far too many to mention here. Don't sue me please, I'm very poor._

* * *

**Chapter 23: Smile Bomb (Part 5)**

* * *

_One week after the attack at Genkai's temple, at a park near the Minamino/Hatenaka Residence... _

"Who is this Kanji Killer? What does he have to do with the Spirit World or even the Chojin?" Kurama asked after Botan handed him material from Koenma's desk concerning his new mission. "You do realize that this is kind of an unusual mission even by Reikai standards, right?"

"Actually, the Kanji Killer has been on the news lately. He's a serial killer whose modus operandi is to carve his victim's corpses with kanji characters, hence his name," Botan informed as she further rifled through her incredibly deep sleeves for newspaper clippings and a folder containing further data that the Spirit World had on the criminal.

"The Kanji Killer is on the news, huh? Since I've been scouting Chojin activity back in Makai for so long, I haven't been keeping myself updated with Ningenkai affairs," Kurama admitted as he kept his burning curiosity in check. To be honest, he still had many unanswered questions he would like to be resolved or at least acknowledged.

"The Kanji Killer has been most active during the time before you, Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Hiei even became Reikai Tantei. Around 1988, to be exact." Botan rifled through the beige folder she had on hand before handing it to Kurama. "On this page is the first confirmed crime that the Kanji Killer committed."

"December 22, 1988. Taito Ward. I suppose had the Kanji Killer struck a little later, he would've been called the Christmastime Killer instead," came Kurama's sardonic observation.

Laughing uneasily at Kurama's morbidness, Botan continued. "It was only recently that the Human World police was able to put two and two together in regards to the killings because there wasn't anything else that connected the victims together save for the killer's modus operandi. Also, there have been a couple of copycat murders that muddled the waters, so to speak."

Kurama scratched his chin and nodded. "I'm confused. If he's been working since 1988, why are we only targeting him now?"

Kenshin cleared his throat to get the attention of his two companions. "After our bond was severed and you blacked out earlier on, Koenma dismissed the Bouetai and talked to Botan and I concerning the Kanji Killer's background. He specifically wanted to include me in the case because he wanted to confirm his hunch regarding the serial killer's M.O."

Kurama raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Okay, so what's the killer's M.O. and how exactly did Koenma figure out that this particular serial killer out of many was connected to the Reikai or the Chojin?"

"First, the Kanji Killer got his name because of the fact that he mutilates his victims using the strokes used to create the characters for the numbers one, eight, and ten." Kenshin's revelation made Botan's eyes dilate in response, although it wasn't Botan who recognized the telltale sword technique.

"The media incorrectly reported that the kanji calling card created by the Kanji Killer was the 'Hon' character. The police believe it to be the amalgamation of the 'Ichi' 'Hachi', and 'Ju' characters, which is what they used to weed out the copycat crimes from the true ones. Among law enforcement circles, he is known as the One-Eight-Ten Killer."

Kenshin too a deep breath as his mind's eye visualized the maniacal laughter and animalistic eyes of a former hitokiri _and_ Shinsengumi member. "Truth be told, the police are only half-right. The amalgamated numbers instead form the character 'Hei', which is the symbol of the Nikaido Heiho Ryu. I know who the Kanji Killer is; his M.O. fits the techniques of a past opponent of mine from a century ago known as Udo Jine, the Black Hat Assassin."

Kurama did a small nod. "It's logical to presume that the Chojin revived this ghost from your past with his jaki the same way he did with the Shisejyu and Rando. Still, I have to wonder how Koenma chanced upon this information."

"Koenma picked up on this while researching about Kenshin's past for further clues in regards to the Demon Sword's connections with the Chojin," Botan further supplied, which made Kurama flinch.

"So Koenma suspects that the Chojin's identity is linked to your past. Also, you probably suspect the same thing," Kurama all but accused Kenshin.

The spirit guardian chortled. "Pretty much, although I don't believe that Koenma-dono would ever admit that to us, me especially. He has become more secretive than before, from what Botan tells me. Is he acting weirdly by your estimations, Kurama-dono?"

The crimson-haired teenager slumped his shoulders in acceptance. "Not enough to earn my distrust. If he can trust me enough to take care of the Demon Sword without becoming a menace to the Human World, then I should give him the benefit of the doubt."

Botan tapped her finger lightly on her chin as tried to remember the rest of Koenma's commands before sending them off to this newest mission. In the meantime, Kurama rifled through the hefty folder of confirmed and suspected cases linked to the Kanji Killer. "So there are only four confirmed cases, huh? The rest of these are suspected cases, copycat cases, and anything else that can be linked to him, correct?"

"Yeah. He's now in the news because he's linked to a recent case concerning a rape of some sort." Botan saw the case being covered in the news on TV while she and Kenshin waited for Kurama to wake up from his dead faint. "It's probably a copycat case though, since the murderer carved a 'Hon' instead of a 'Hei' on his victim."

Kurama smirked as something occurred to him. "Is there no chance for us to use your Spirit World connections in order to defy the age-old truism of 'Dead men tell no tales', Botan? The victim is the kind of witnesses that the Ningenkai police can never get a warrant for, methinks."

"Now _that's_ thinking out of the box, Kurama!" Botan commended, yet shook her head in the end. "Sadly, that's not possible. Hitodama aren't the chattiest spirits around, the paperwork to track down souls is hard to sift through, and we're not even sure if the Kanji Killer's victims are able to pass on to the afterlife. They could either be destroyed or earthbound."

"That's a shame. This would've been an open and shut case if we can get a ghost to point us to the right direction." Kurama turned towards Kenshin and showed him the files. "You're the closest 'dead man' we have available. Also, you're the best judge of character for this Jine person. What do you think?"

Kenshin took a good look at the four sole cases that were confirmed by investigators to be conclusively linked to the Kanji Killer. The file contained the following information:

Back in December 22, 1988, seventeen-year-old Junpei Saigo and sixteen-year-old Mitsuki Takiguchi were chopped up and killed within the city limits of Taito in the Asakusa District.

Then, a few months later on July 5, 1989, the Kanji Killer attacked a couple... twenty-year-old Daiji Matsudaira and nineteen-year-old Itsumi Matsudaira... at Taito once again, this time within the Ueno District. Even though the man, Daiji, survived, the woman, Itsumi, was pronounced dead-on-arrival at a nearby hospital.

Yuji Nishihara, nineteen, and Kumiko Sakuma, twenty-two, were chopped up and given the "Hei" markings by the Kanji Killer (which had become his trademark by then) on September 27, 1989 beside the Ara River at the Adachi District. Nishihara died after six stab wounds to the back, while Sakuma died later on in a hospital as a result of her injuries on September 30, 1989.

The last confirmed attack was on October 11, 1989. The twenty-nine-year-old Nobuetsu Horisawa was mutilated and killed at Yoyogi Park in Shibuya. From there, the next multitude of pages contained suspected Kanji Killer cases as well as confirmed copycat cases using the serial killer's M.O., including one that happened as way back as 1983. The aforementioned pending rape case was also covered.

Kenshin handed back the file to Kurama. "This disturbs me. The Jine I knew would never bother killing civilians unless they're collateral damage to his assassination missions. Also, because he's a master swordsman, taking on one or two people at a time would mean instant death. Having teenaged survivors or even people who made it to the hospital before dying is not up to par with his standards as a hitokiri. Aside from the modus operandi of carving up the 'Hei' symbol, he's acting quite unlike himself."

"One other question I want answered is, 'What exactly will this Kanji Killer get out of murdering innocents?' I have only glanced at this file so far, but the thing that bothers me about this case is that there's no underlying motive behind any of the killings. There's no connection between the murdered victims aside from their youthfulness and the fact that they're all residing in Tokyo."

"Then again, Seiryu showed only last week how powerful any of the Chojin's minions can become when using a victim's suffering to their advantage," Botan pointed out, still hoping against hope that Keiko could somehow recover from her jaki-induced coma the same way Yusuke did when he unexpectedly died the first time.

With a shrug and a tight-lipped expression, Kenshin gave in to Botan's persuasive argument. "In fairness, a lot can change in a hundred years. Jine committed suicide after I defeated him, and even before I met him, he was always crazier than a Betsy Bug because of his bloodlust. Perhaps when he was first revived, he was still weak and quite sloppy with his swordsmanship after years of being an onryo or some other disturbed soul. I can only assume."

"That's what I'm afraid of. There are too many possibilities. The only real lead we have is the fact that someone is using Nikaido Heibu strikes and markings on all these helpless victims. The worst-case scenario for us is that our clues will lead us to a dead end and we're hunting for a serial killer that doesn't have anything to do with the Overfiend at all."

Kenshin's body began flickering in and out of existence as though it were a light bulb that was ready to burn out. "Kenshin, are you all right? You're... transparent! What's going on with you?" Kaoru exclaimed before Botan even realized what was happening; her voice was so choked up with emotion that even Kurama noticed the change in pitch.

The kendo girl initially decided to stay clear from all this Spirit World business, but she changed her mind at the last minute after seeing Kenshin's alarming state.

Kenshin grabbed the back of his head, scratching it as he chuckled off Kaoru's worries. "I guess the power up that I got from Kurama back in Reikai has already run out of juice. If you don't mind, I'll be back inside the Demon Sword. See you all around." Without further adieu, the ginger-haired ghost disappeared from view altogether, his blade plopping onto the grass below.

Kurama made a move to pick up the dormant sword, but stopped himself short after remembering his blackout and his attempted murder of the Prince of the Dead. He turned towards a fist-clenching "Botan"... who had probably shifted into her "Kaoru" persona once more... and requested, "It's best that you hold on to the Demon Sword for the time being," and said nothing more. Kaoru kept her eyes on Kurama even as she picked up the Reikai artifact and slipped it into the folds of Botan's kimono.

Botan pushed back the protective Kaoru's consciousness into the depths of her own subconscious, idly musing how she now had "two" voices in her head... Kenshin and Kaoru... and if Kurama still thought of her as a crazy person because of all this Kaoru Kamiya nonsense.

Kurama pursed his lips; even for him, the information overload was still too much to handle in one sitting. He already had a few suspicions, theories, and speculations regarding the case, but he would need time to cogitate on it in order to fully sort everything out.

"We'll have to continue this meeting at a later date. I'll be taking this folder with me in order to study it more thoroughly over the weekend. If you have any other information you'd like to share, just keep me posted. But for now, the best I could do is look this over and see if my suspicions are correct." Kurama stood up and bowed at the lone ferry-girl three times in order to acknowledge both her and her two other unseen companions.

"Okay. Here's a Spirit World communicator. If you make any breakthroughs on the case, contact me directly. You will have to do so within the next two weeks though, because I... well, _we_ have a scheduled meeting with Koenma Daio concerning last week's mission," Botan replied in kind.

* * *

_Two weeks after the attack at Genkai's temple, inside the Shinjuku Police Station during the afternoon... _

The seventeen-year-old Ippei Shimamura patted the back of his (literally) brother from another mother and winked, which was his signal for the quintuplets to back off and let him handle Hikaru's tirade.

"Besides, dad is sort of correct when he says I'm being a leech. I'm not even sure I want to be some sort of stiff businessman in a monkey suit. I'm not that kind of guy. Legitimate... Illegitimate... Who really cares? Let the son who can run the company superbly take over. I couldn't care less."

"Thank you for saving me from your mother's wrath, but please don't call my mother a social climber," Katsuhiko insisted as he alone of the quintuplets stood up against the imposing Ippei. "Unlike you and despite my experiences, I don't consider every last female a gold digger or a social climber. My mother isn't anything like... A-Aya-san."

Ippei's grin widened to the point of parody, his teeth and eyes shining with their glare of inordinate whiteness. He moved towards Katsuhiko's ear and murmured, "Sure, I guess not _all_ women are money-grubbing bitches, but it is correct to say that _some_ of them are. My mother is one, though don't tell her that I told you that. She married Dad in order to get richer than ever before. Aya-chan is another."

Ippei and Katsuhiko were both referring to Katsuhiko's ex-girlfriend and would-have-been bride-to-be, Aya Tachikawa. "I remember Mom daring you to tell Aya-chan that you were disowned by Dad because you're a bastard child so you won't have any money left to you once you graduate. She said that Aya-chan was just like your mother: a gold digger. What did Aya-chan do as soon as you told her? She left you for some other rich kid. You've always been a bad judge of character. Perhaps your own bias for your mother is blinding you from her very real flaws."

"What's your point, then?" Katsuhiko snapped, his face scrunched up and his body coiled tightly like a constricted bed spring. "I made my mistake with Aya-san. Her shortcomings and betrayal has nothing to do with my mother, though. I can freely admit that her having an affair with Father was wrong, but don't ever call her a gold digger in my face."

Ippei stepped back and raised his hands in mock defeat. "Easy, bro. I'm on your side. Like Houjo said, I don't think you're the one responsible for the death of that gold digger. You're too straight-laced to do it. None of you quintuplets are guilty, in fact. You've been framed, maybe it was the ex-boyfriend who really did it. Besides, you're the exact opposite of that virgin, Ennosuke, and Houjo, who's just a wannabe of yours truly. I have your back, bro."

"Hey, fuck you, Ippei-san! I'm no wannabe! I actually have a girlfriend, unlike niichan here!" the third child of the Shimamuras and the second quintuplet, Houjo, joked as he punched Katsuhiko's arm and bumped fists with Ippei. Katsuhiko sighed and smiled at his brothers' antics in spite of himself.

"Yeah, but have you gone past second base with her? No? I didn't think so. Like Katsuhiko, you still have mommy's breast milk on your lips, dude!" Ippei needled in between protests of, "Yuck, that's gross, man!" and promises of "We'll get you out of here as soon as we can, niichan! We won't let that gold digger get the best of us!"

Ippei followed up his comment with the half-kidding demand of, "HEY! You never called me big brother before! Bastard brothers or no, we're still blood relatives and I'm older than you! Give me some respect!"

Meanwhile, thirteen-year-old Bunjiro, fourteen-year-old Goemon, and fifteen-year-old Fumio... the three youngest Shimamura kids who were also Kunihiko's sons with Hikaru... were poking their heads at the half-open door in order to check out what the commotion was all about.

"Hey, you little brats! You shouldn't be here! The adults are talking," the leather-jacket-wearing Ippei playfully reproved the rest of his siblings, which resulted in Fumio rejoining, "We're not that clueless about the case and we've already testified for the police, you jerk!"

"Look, I'm not playing favorites with any of our sons. This isn't the time or place for us to air our dirty laundry. We'll always be there for Katsuhiko or any of our sons who are in trouble," Kunihiko said as he attempted to console the sobbing and blubbering Hikaru to no avail. She swatted every last effort her husband made to put his arms around her, for one thing.

"Okay, everybody! Yes, even you three kids. Come inside," the smarmy Officer Uye announced while clapping his hands and ushering Fumio, Goemon, and Bunjiro inside the room. "As you know, we've interviewed each and every one of you brothers about the incident separately. By now, you've all become aware of each other's testimonies. Have any of you changed your minds? Have any of you decided to confess the truth in the face of all your contradicting testimonies?" His questions and requests were met with silence.

Even as both Inspector Taniguchi and Detective Tsunemoto stared unimpressed at Uye's lackadaisical stab at solving the "mystery" behind the Shimamura brothers' contradictory statements (while the sickly Officer Hamada took a smoking break from outside the interrogation room despite his respiratory difficulties) the good officer remained undeterred.

Officer Uye reviewed the photocopies of the brothers' testimonies. "How about you, Ennosuke-kun? One of the quintuplets, Akahito-kun, says that you're the one who did it. Do you agree with your own brother's accusation?"

Without missing a beat, the youngest quintuplet shrugged and said, "Yeah, sure. Why not? Who knows?"

Uye was just about to tear his thinning hair out before he cooled himself down and decided to wipe his face from forehead to chin in exasperation instead.

"Listen, boy. You need to take this seriously. Perjury is a crime punishable by law. I don't care what your father's team of lawyers told you about Family Law and juvenile delinquents, _lying_ during interrogations is a crime. Tell us the truth. Now."

"I am serious. I'm not taking back my previous testimony either. I told you that Bunjiro isn't telling the truth, and I was right. He told you it wasn't me, but it must've been me because he's a liar."

"You didn't even _know_ what Bunjiro-kun was going to say when you were interrogated! How the hell did you know he was going to lie? Are you saying that you're an accomplice to a murder of a rape victim? Are you really admitting yourself to be a rapist? What do you mean by that? What's your motive? Tell me!"

Unfazed, Ennosuke maintained, "Calling Bunjiro an insufferable liar is the only thing I testified to. That's all I know. If you think it was me, feel free to prove it. Maybe I'm wrong and Bunjiro is telling the truth. Like I said, that's all I know. I'm speaking from experience."

Groaning, Officer Uye turned towards Bunjiro and asked, "Your brother, Ennosuke-kun, testified that you're a liar. Why is that?"

The youngest of the Shimamura brothers thought for a minute or two before confessing, "That's because I've lied before. Who hasn't?"

Shigetaka licked his lips and bit them as he formed a steeple with his fingers in seeming prayer to the gods.

"Okay, that's nice to know. How are we supposed to tell that you aren't lying now? Even though Katsuhiko-kun is our prime suspect because of his outright confession, your testimony for Ennosuke-kun's innocence also makes him a viable suspect, ironically enough. You confirmed that he has been pining for 'Kishi-neechan' for quite a while, taking photographs of her and basically stalking her. So which story should we believe then?"

"I'm not lying, but I don't know the whole story either. You'll have to take my word for it. Ennosuke-niichan loves Kishi-neechan, and he doesn't look like the type who'll make Kishi-neechan cry. He certainly won't kill her, that's for sure," Bunjiro said in all earnestness, which made Shigetaka throw up his hands and stand in the corner in sheer aggravation.

"I'll take it from here, Uye-kun," Aiko crowed with a sultry, perhaps even mocking, moan as she sashayed towards the actual suspects that hadn't been interviewed... namely, the remaining brothers.

"Hello, Akahito-kun. You share the same face as four of your brothers, yet you've still managed to remain the most unique one of you five," the detective purred as she tilted her body towards the reticent quintuplet. "Have you something to confess?"

"Madam, flattery will get you nowhere. However, it's delightful to see the police attempting the age-old 'good cop, bad cop' routine and end up failing badly at both, though. Very amusing, to say the least," the nerdy yet sharp-tongued bespectacled youth surmised without bothering to look up from the tabloid he was reading. "For good or for ill, I deeply apologize for my father's mudslinging of Kishida-shi. That was certainly uncalled for."

Detective Aiko preened herself as she craned her neck over her loquacious interviewee. "What makes you think that Ennosuke-kun is guilty, though? He certainly doesn't look bothered or 'in-love' with Kishida-shi as both you and Bunjiro-kun claims. If anything, it looks like he's lying for the sake of protecting his family. Is my deduction incorrect?"

This time around, Akahito put down the newspaper and regarded Detective Tsunemoto in a new light.

"That's very perceptive of you, detective. Yes, it's quite obvious that Ennosuke-kun is not taking this interrogation seriously. Nevertheless, according to the Kubler-Ross Model or the five stages of grief, he's currently in the denial stage. He still doesn't realize the full gravity of his situation as a psychotic stalker, which is why you're getting nonsense from him like claiming that his brother is lying even though he doesn't know what his brother said at the time."

"Huh. That's a feasible rationalization, but between you and me, Ennosuke-kun should've been in denial after the rape, not after the murder. Or, if he wasn't in denial with the rape, then he shouldn't have been in denial or even angry with the murder either because the length between rape and murder suggests premeditation. His background suggests he's a stalker without any actual contact with Kishida-shi."

"That's assuming that Ennosuke-kun viewed the 'rape' of Kishida-shi as rape from the get go. It could've ended up as a crime of passion after he found out that she was out to either ruin his reputation or force him to take responsibility for the rape. Then again, this is all conjecture and speculation on my part," Akahito articulated in such a way that made even the skeptical Tsunemoto to start considering Ennosuke as a viable suspect.

"How about you, Doi-kun? You say that either Katsuhiko-kun or Houjo-kun are suspects. Do you have any proof behind your testimony or are you merely speculating like Akahito-kun?" the detective questioned as she rubbed her temples; her interrogation had her end up with more instead of fewer suspects to consider, to her vexation.

"I said it before, and I'll say it again. I'm not sure. I'm not pointing any fingers at Ennosuke-kun because I know nothing about his crush on Kishida-san." Doi laughed nervously.

"I think it could've been Houjo-kun because he is used to having lots of women fawn all over him, while Kishida-san has a reputation for being easy. With that said, because of Kishida-san's questionable character, I highly doubt that rape really did occur between them. As for niisan, if he were blackmailed to marry the girl with the threat of being exposed to the world as a rapist, then... well, who knows? It's the police's job to prove what actually happened anyway, right? Mind you, I'm not specifically accusing anybody of anything. I'm merely telling you what I know."

Both Tsunemoto and Uye stared back helplessly at the inspector, which elicited a grunt of discontent from the thick-bodied fifty-two year old. Inspector Masaya's interview yielded practically the same results; the fifteen-year-old Fumio supposing that it was Katsuhiko who did it, the fourteen-year-old Goemon insisting that it wasn't Katsuhiko who did it, and the both of them only guessing from what little they knew of what happened.

Meanwhile, it was at that exact moment that the sunglasses-donning Officer Hamada entered the stuffy interrogation room. "So basically we're back to square one. We've neither proven nor discovered anything new with this one last group interrogation," the inspector summed up with an anguished scrunching of his wizened face. "Well, if that's the case, then..."

"Did you really kill my sister? Did you rape her as well?" Katsumi blurted out in one breath as she confronted the bewildered Katsuhiko Shimamura. The eldest quintuplet stared at her expectant face before he averted his gaze and kept his tears from leaking out of his eyes.

"My statement remains the same as before. It wasn't rape; it was consensual. Yes, I killed your sister. I'm sorry to say, but she's a gold digger just like all the others. M-Miki-san... You didn't know her as well as you think you do. Feel free to hate me, because I know that what I've done is wrong. This is the only thing I can do as reparation for my sins."

To everyone's surprise, no harm befell the self-confessed murderer who was adamant that Miki Kishida wasn't raped at all. Instead, Katsumi's eyes lost focus upon hearing her sister's name, which Detective Aiko supposed was the result of the fifteen-year-old girl entering the state of denial at long last in accordance to the five stages of grief.

"_Anyway_, I've had enough of this soap opera nonsense. I've let everyone speak their minds in the hopes of discovering something new, but we instead ended up with garbage that's best left to the tabloids. This case has gone on long enough. All the evidence and testimonies we have so far points to Shimamura Katsuhiko-kun as the rapist and murderer, and he himself confessed to the murder, at the very least. I suggest you put those lawyers of yours to good use, Mister Shimamura. That is all."

"Not so fast, Inspector Bulldog! FLYING BIRD KICK!" a small, gi-wearing, long-braided girl about the same age as the quintuplets burst forth the door and delivered a jumping roundhouse that connected right into the unprepared Masaya Taniguchi's jowly jaw.

* * *

_One and a half weeks after the attack at Genkai's temple, at the Meiou High School Library... _

The casually dressed Kurama ushered Botan inside the library as he himself flashed his alumni pass to the school librarian. As per usual, the ferry-girl used her penchant for dressing up in a variety of costumes to get herself a Meiou-style school uniform for girls even though there wasn't really any reason for her to do so.

"I've never been to your school before, Kurama! Oh, and our first date just happens to be in your sch3l's library! How... educational!" Botan beamed with joy while Kurama dabbed his handkerchief over his forehead to get rid of excess, irksome moisture.

"Uh, call me Minamino-kun or even Shuichi-kun for now." The redhead did a once over at Botan's questionable outfit. "I see you've done your research in regards to the latest uniform. I hope you've exerted as much effort in retrieving info regarding the Kanji Killer and his connection to Kenshin's past swordsman foe."

"Of course I did, you silly goose! But didn't I specifically tell you to call me when _you've_ found out something about the Kanji Killer, and not the other way around?" the shinigami reprimanded.

"Sorry about that. So far, this Kanji Killer business has left me quite stumped. He presents the same problems that America's Zodiac Killer had in terms of motive and type of victim. I have no choice but to depend on your files for now and do some supplementary reading on the case. All his suspected victims appear to have been killed by different people even when we're excluding the copycats who were aping his methods."

"Yeah, the police have described the Kanji Killer as a Zodiac Killer copycat who also has his own copycats. Speaking of which, I've gotten the letters that the Kanji Killer sent to the media too. Here are the photocopies. The second message in particular supports the Reikai's theory of him using victims to enhance his share of jaki from the Chojin, so to speak," Botan divulged as she handed the retired spirit detective her folder of new data.

"Thanks. I've been having problems locating the first letter, although I already have multiple copies of the second letter from Meiou High's newspaper archives."

"Wow. You already knew about the letters after only a weekend of research? That's impressive." Botan tilted her head in curiosity as Kurama's evergreen eyes wandered towards the long, wrapped-up package she had right under her armpit.

"Oh yeah. _This_. Well, I brought Kenshin along. He's been on 'standby mode' since the last time we talked to him. This cloth container allowed me to sneak his Demon Sword into school premises without people asking me too many questions. Er, your school does have a kendo club lying around, right?"

"O-kay... Sure." Kurama grabbed his neck, cleared his throat, and adjusted his polo shirt's collar as he inched ever so slightly away from Botan. Once he regained his composure, he opened the thick folder full of fastened photocopied documents and proclaimed, "Well, shall we? It's about time we compared notes."

In any event, the first decrypted message that was dated on August 1, 1989 and sent to a local Ueno newspaper stated, "I am fully realized humanity without masks and hypocrisy. This is what humanity and human behavior truly is. My kind has a place in the world. We are nothing more than the latest version of an ancient archetype known as the Fool. We provide a valuable service to humanity in that we are capable of acting in the extreme edge of morality." The details concerning the murders he committed in Ueno weren't released to the public and were sent to the police vault.

The second message, dated August 7, 1989, read, "This is the Kanji Killer. I liked the name you gave me. You were saying that I don't need to do this, correct? No. It needs to be done. I cannot be stopped. I have discovered the truth about humanity, and how to go beyond its limitations. Schadenfraude. I am nothing more than a mirror, in a sense; a hypocrite that exposes other hypocrites by their own reflection without them ever realizing it. Because of this epiphany, my victims will become my slaves when I go back to paradise. They empower me."

"Well, what do you think?" Botan asked hopefully, even though she knew that this wasn't enough evidence for even Kurama to work with.

"I don't know enough about Kenshin's past foe to be sure, but I get the feeling that this Jine fellow wouldn't bother writing such ambiguous nonsense. I will say that there's something strikingly familiar with what's written, but I'll need to confirm it through research first. Without any confirmation, my gut feeling tells me that the Kanji Killer the police are looking for and Udo Jine are two different people altogether despite the similarity in modus operandi."

Botan raised an eyebrow at that. "You got this from just reading the Kanji Killer's letters? And here I thought they'd confirm to you that he's actually connected to the Chojin. Aren't you just haphazardly jumping to conclusions on this one, or is it Koenma-sama who's doing the jumping?"

"We're still missing a piece of the puzzle is what I meant," Kurama admitted more to himself than to Botan or to her dormant, semi-sentient Reikai artifact.

"Don't get me wrong, Botan. I highly doubt that a hitokiri who is capable of actually murdering skilled swordsmen in his wake would bother with letters and clandestine murders of defenseless young teenagers. These are things a serial killer who has just tasted blood and wants more would do. It's the difference between a seasoned veteran and an overeager novice, if you will; the Kanji Killer who left behind clues of his modus operandi, and the other killer who used his more obvious counterparts' actions to hide his murders."

You know, you've been acting awfully mercurial lately. You should ease up," Botan chided.

Kurama stopped himself from chuckling. "'Mercurial'? What, did you get that off a 'Word of the Day' calendar?"

"Well, yes. Yes, I did. Thank you for proving my point anyway."

"I'm sorry. It's just that... I'm at my wits end. Also..."

"Yeah. You have your plate full, don't you? Kenshin. The Chojin. The Demon Sword. The Kanji Killer. All sorts of stuff." Botan grabbed hold of Kurama's forearm and squeezed it encouragingly. "Relax. Everything will get sorted out in the end... I hope." She then blinked twice in a row as she sat stock-still. "Okay, what now?"

"If these are the only leads we have, then the best way to test them is to go by what Kenshin knows. We're dealing with a hitokiri like him, only this time it's someone who's incredibly insane. I don't think the 'insanity' defense covers why his motives are starkly different from this other Kanji Killer's purposes for killing. We'll have to check out the latest Kanji Killer case that's most likely to involve the Udo Jine whom Kenshin knows."

* * *

_Two weeks after the attack at Genkai's temple, inside the Shinjuku Police Station during the afternoon... _

Presumably, because of the out-of-the-blue kick's strength, Inspector Masaya Taniguchi lost his sense of priority, respectability, and logic; that was the only viable explanation why, as soon as he came to his senses, he picked up his attacker by the scruff of her gi's neck and shouted, "I DO NOT LOOK LIKE A BULLDOG! Stop calling me Inspector Bulldog, dammit!" He then silenced the snickers and withheld guffaws of his three underlings with an ironically canine growl.

"Good afternoon, Inspector Bulldog!" greeted Likka, completely oblivious to her brother-in-law's superior's protests. "Uncle Jiji has been monitoring this case from afar even though he hasn't been in the station as of late. Luckily, he has an assistant on hand to deliver his message and deduction regarding who the real culprit of this case is."

"You don't say? And I don't suppose this assistant you're talking about is a cane-wielding, sandy-haired girl with a pageboy haircut that's about this tall...?" Just as the inspector trailed off, the hand he placed in midair at the same level as his shoulder chanced upon a handful of the very tresses he was describing, which incidentally belonged to the female in question. "We meet again, Shinkai Natsuki-chan."

"Hello to you too, Inspector. How goes your current case?" the half-Chinese girl casually greeted as she bowed to Taniguchi first before bowing several times to all the other people gathered in the interrogation room.

"My answer depends on one thing only: Is it really any of your business to know? If this is another one of your harebrained schemes to test out your amateur sleuthing skills, I swear I'll...!" Taniguchi stopped short of delivering an hour-long tirade after spotting Likka engage in... Kanon-knew-what. "Likka-chan, what the _hell_ are you doing?"

While Inspector Masaya was busy reprimanding Natsuki in regards to her sudden appearance, Likka went about and introduced herself to the five quintuplets while asking each their name. She then ushered them to move to the back of the room in a straight side-by-side line; confused, they complied to the gi-garbed girl's orders without a second thought. Afterwards, she asked the names of the four remaining brothers and had them go to the line in no particular order, from what the inspector could see.

The eldest, Ippei, was put at the right side of the line, but Akahito, the fourth son and the third quintuplet, was put in the left side instead. The inspector, detective, and two officers present couldn't make heads or tails out of the eccentric girl's police lineup of the Shimamura brothers. "Ah, we're done! Whew! That was tough work! Thanks for your cooperation, everyone!"

"What is the meaning of this? I demand to know the reason behind this farce right now!" Kunihiko Shimamura hollered in vain as his head swung back and forth his wife, his children, and his lawyers, seemingly waiting for any of them to step up the plate and give him the explanation he so desperately needed.

In seeming response to the Shimamura Patriarch's questions, Likka produced Post-it notes filled with statements scrawled on them. Soon, realization dawned among those gathered as Detective Matsudaira's sister-in-law matched the testimonies written on each of the Post-it notes with their corresponding Shimamura brother. From left to right came the following lineup:

**Akahito: **Ennosuke is guilty.

**Bunjiro: **It was not Ennosuke.

**Fumio: **Katsuhiko is guilty.

**Goemon:** It was not Katsuhiko.

**Houjo:** It was neither Katsuhiko nor I.

**Doi: **It was either Katsuhiko or Houjo.

**Katsuhiko:** I did it.

**Ennosuke: **Bunjiro isn't telling the truth.

**Ippei:** Houjo is telling the truth. And it wasn't Ennosuke, either.

"Their statements serve as their nametags of sorts while also telling us who said what at a glace! Yes, this simplifies everything quite nicely! I was beginning to get all cross-eyed with all these contradicting testimonies and whatnot," Missus Hikaru Shimamura appraised with a clap of her hands and a tilt of her head.

Kunihiko harrumphed. "This lineup proves nothing. In fact, I don't particularly care who the police picks as a suspect, because I know in my heart that _none_ of my boys are capable of doing what that hussy alleges them to have done. Not even for a second."

"Besides which, those conclusions of yours are oversimplifying things a bit too much, little lady," interjected Detective Aiko Tsunemoto. "Had you been here the whole time, you'd realize that nearly all of the brothers knew nothing about the crime. They were merely speculating. Generalization and instant deductions are more your modus operandi than Matsudaira-kun's."

Ignoring Detective Tsunemoto's condescending remarks, Natsuki disclosed to Inspector Taniguchi, "I hope you don't mind, but Likka-tan and I listened in on your last-ditch interrogation all this time, and I couldn't help but notice that your logic was a bit flawed in regards to your conclusion that Katsuhiko-kun is the rapist and murderer of Kishida-shi."

Inspector Taniguchi sighed, but let the Matsudairas' family friend play junior detective anyway. This was hardly standard operating procedure, but at the very least, Natsuki assisted Detective Daiji Matsudaira crack more than one case with her strict application of the Occam's razor school of thinking. He'd just chalk it up as due help from an amateur sleuth, if ever headquarters grilled him in regards to the situation. "Since you're here, what are your thoughts concerning this case? Seeing your unique take on the police lineup, I'd gather you have plenty in mind."

"My first question is, why was Oogata-shi considered such a trustworthy witness in the first place? Yes, he was the ex-boyfriend of the victim, but why was he deemed an important eyewitness anyway?" Natsuki queried as her sparkling eyes glinted with feline inquisitiveness.

"He was able to describe to us details concerning the murder that we haven't released to the public or even to the families concerned as of yet. He also has a criminal record, although it was more in terms of petty theft and miscellaneous misdemeanors than anything major. He knew so much that we had him pegged as the prime suspect or an accomplice until his untimely demise at what we believe to be the hands of the genuine Kanji Killer," the inspector revealed, which elicited gasps of protest from two of his three subordinates.

"You shouldn't be revealing sensitive information about this case to a teenaged civilian, Inspector! You and I both know that she isn't here to deliver any message from our MIA star detective, so she really has no connection to this case other than her vested interest in hunting down the Kanji Killer, as usual," interrupted Officer Shigetaka Uye while adjusting his tie and raising an indignant eyebrow at Miss Shinkai.

"Besides, our logic isn't flawed at all. Everything checks out. The perp confessed, his motives are crystal clear, we have some of his brothers corroborating his story somewhat, and it goes in line with what Oogata-shi confessed: Only three of the brothers are telling the truth, and I can count three brothers who are accusing Shimamura Katsuhiko of doing that crime. That little stunt with the police lineup only further proves my arguments."

Natsuki stifled a laugh before batting her eyelashes at the pudgy and pale Shigetaka. "Is that so, Officer Uye? Then maybe you can point out the three people in the lineup who are telling the truth. I assure you, there are more than just three of them," she said as she exchanged knowing grins with Likka.

Officer Uye inwardly counted to ten as an annoying memory of Natsuki unraveling an earlier deduction of his surfaced in his mind. "You're not playing semantics with me again, are you? This isn't a school debate. We're here to work, little girl."

Natsuki shook her head. "Nope. I'm just here to uncover the truth, just like everyone else here."

Shigetaka wiped his sweaty brow. "Fine. You can see the three plain as day in the lineup anyway. There's Fumio-kun, Doi-kun, and the suspect himself declaring that Katsuhiko-kun is guilty of murdering, perhaps raping Kishida-shi."

Natsuki shook her head again. "You're wrong. You're missing one more person."

Ignoring the dread in the pit of his stomach, Officer Shigetaka blustered, "What are you talking about? Those are the only three who claimed that Katsuhiko-kun is the guilty party. There are no other people claiming that."

"You forgot Bunjiro-kun. He says that it wasn't Ennosuke-kun who did it. If it's true that Katsuhiko-kun was the one who did it, then what Bunjiro-kun said is also true. Therefore, there are more than three people who are telling the truth at the time."

Unseen by the others, the true suspect behind the two crimes felt cold sweat run down his neck for the first time since this interrogation began. Meanwhile, the rest of the gathered people took an entire second to let Natsuki's words sink in before a collective exhale of realization echoed inside the interrogation room.

"You _are_ playing the semantics card again! Do you really think that it matters that Bunjiro-kun told the truth when there are three people who are plainly accusing Katsuhiko-kun of the crime? This doesn't in any way absolve Katsuhiko-kun of being a suspect in the least! Besides, how can a moronic, out-of-school ronin like Oogata-shi be able to tell at a glance that it was only three people who are telling the truth? What if the idiot missed a guy?" Officer Uye rationalized defensively, unwilling to accept the reasoning behind Natsuki's conclusion.

Calmly, Natsuki replied, "You'd be wrong again, Officer Uye. Had Oogata-shi made a mistake on his claims, then his planned blackmail against the Shimamura family for his silence would've failed. He knew exactly what he was doing. He claimed that there were only three brothers telling the truth. Your theory is in direct contradiction to his assertion that only three of the Shimamura brothers offered the most accurate testimonies. It doesn't add up."

"STOP NITPICKING! Oogata-shi isn't a reliable witness, and the fact that there are more than three people corroborating that Katsuhiko-kun is the killer only means that he's the likeliest suspect of them all! Screw Oogata-shi's lies! This is a police investigation, not a crossword puzzle!"

Katsuhiko was about to speak in his defense... or perhaps more accurately, in his condemnation... when a female outburst killed his intended reiteration of his testimony right inside his throat.

"What do you mean he isn't a reliable witness? My lawyer and I looked high and low to find him, and I even had to settle for letting the potential accomplice to my sister's murder go scot-free in order to have the asshole who's really responsible for this nightmare end up behind bars! Don't you dare imply that our witness wasn't credible because you want to win a pissing contest with this Natsuki girl!" Katsumi Kishida exploded, which instantly silenced the barely coherent protests of the incredulous officer.

Inspector Taniguchi intervened just in time to stop the brewing argument between Officer Shigetaka and the victim's sister from escalating. "Natsuki-chan's right, Uye-kun; at least in terms of Oogata-shi's testimony, she's correct. If it were Katsuhiko-kun who did it, then there would have been more than three people who are telling the truth." In the background, a trembling, teary-eyed Katsumi was being comforted by her concerned lawyer.

"Ah, so is _that_ the message that Matsudaira-kun wants to share? That we made the wrong deduction and this case was some sort of simple logic test? How quaint," Detective Aiko cooed in a manner wherein Natsuki couldn't tell whether she was being sarcastic or not. "If that's the case, then I guess I was correct the first time in thinking that the murderer was somebody other than Katsuhiko-kun based on the testimony of Oogata-shi."

"It depends on who you think is the one who did it," replied Natsuki sweetly, figuring that regardless of whether Tsunemoto was correct or not, at least they would still be closer to the truth.

"I'll give you a hint, though. Likka-tan and I placed the brothers together in a line so that the ones with contradicting statements are beside each other. To wit, Akahito-kun and Bunjiro-kun are debating whether Ennosuke-kun is the guilty party. Ignoring Katsuhiko-kun's confession, Fumio-kun and Goemon-kun are the only ones arguing whether Katsuhiko-kun did it. Finally, Doi-kun and Houjo-kun are disputing whether Katsuhiko-kun or Houjo-kun did it or not. If any one of a pair of contradicting statements are deemed untrue, then the remaining one will automatically be true."

Aiko tossed her hair and put her hands over her hips. "_Well_, unlike you who treats people as if they're numbers from an equation you need to solve, true crime investigation requires the establishment of _motive_ and _opportunity _in order to catch the bad guy. Let's recap, shall we? Stop me if you've already heard this."

The detective got out of the room, rifled through her desk, picked up a folder, and got back in while everybody else waited uneasily for her take on the case.

She opened her document on hand and orated, "On March 2, Monday, about fifteen days ago, the body of Kishida Miki-shi was found by metal scrappers clearing out an abandoned factory. She was declared a victim of the Kanji Killer because of the markings on her body. According to the autopsy report, she'd been dead for about one and a half to two days, judging by the dissipating rigor mortis of the corpse and signs of bloating."

Natsuki frowned at Detective Tsunemoto as Katsumi flinched away at the clinical description of Miki's dead body. "Is there any particular point you want to arrive at, Detective? I don't think it's necessary to go all the way back, especially in front of the victim's next-of-kin."

"I'm getting there, little lady. Hold your horses. I'm giving you all the facts of this case because I don't think you're aware of the whole story," the detective snapped, the wheels in her head turning as Natsuki's deduction perfectly coincided with her own suspicions.

"On March 5, about twelve days ago, Kishida Katsumi-san came forward and testified against the quintuplets, alleging that one of them had been courting her sister to the point of stalking her, which we later found out was Ennosuke-kun."

"Wait a minute, Tsunemoto-san! You can't seriously be suggesting...?" Officer Uye griped yet again because of how dead-set he was at ending the case and arresting the one person who directly confessed to his supposed crimes from the beginning. 'This is an open and shut case!' However, he shrunk back as Aiko raised her voice and insisted on continuing her deduction.

"Katsumi-san also alleges that her sister may have been raped on Valentines Day, which could've been anyone of the quintuplets, but some people have clearer motivations than others. The time of Kishida-shi's death is roughly around Sunday, February 28 of last month. On that day, the whereabouts of all five of the quintuplets were unaccounted for. None of their alibis could be corroborated by any witnesses, so they were all placed in police custody as possible suspects. Naturally, because they were delinquents, their true identities were withheld from the media.

"At first, the quintuplets were discouraged to speak at the behest of their lawyers. However, a weekend after their initial contact with law enforcement, on March 8, they along with their other brothers came forward and released separate yet conflicting testimonies that muddled the investigation even further. Among the nine brothers, Katsuhiko-kun was the only one who outright confessed to the crime, and he probably would have been the one tried for the crime had it not been for the appearance and testimony of Oogata-shi a week ago on March 11, Thursday."

It was at that point that Natsuki ceased feeling impatient over Detective Tsunemoto's pompous attempts at showing off and began listening to the policewoman's recap of events and establishment of the crime's timeline thus far.

"However, even though he was established as a possible accomplice and a _credible_ witness due to his knowledge that corroborated what we knew about Kishida-shi's murder so far, he had a change of heart and decided to delay giving his testimony on a later date. We have suspicions regarding just _why_ he delayed his testimony," came Detective Aiko's syrupy drawl as she chortled at the assembled Shimamura lawyers, "but the bottom line here is that he refused to testify any further save for indicating that only three of the nine statements from the Shimamura brothers were true as a sort of warning to the true perpetrator behind this gruesome crime.

"Unfortunately, as everyone in Tokyo knows by now, Oogata-shi was eventually killed by the real Kanji Killer on March 13, Saturday; although the killer used the 'Hon' character when carving up his victim, his expertise in cutting down Oogata-shi even while under the watchful eye of our very own Officer Hamada proves that this was a job done by someone other than Kishida-shi's amateurish murderer. We were left at an impasse of sorts that moment since.

"On one hand, we have Oogata-shi's testimony stating that only three of the brothers are telling the truth. On the other hand, our SOP dictates that we should establish motive and opportunity first and foremost before making our conclusions. Also, as Matsudaira-kun's little helper exposed, Oogata-shi's testimony doesn't quite mesh with the theory that Katsuhiko-kun is the perp. The only answer that makes sense from both perspectives is that it's Shimamura Ennosuke-kun who truly raped and killed Kishida-shi."

"Now hold on just a minute! What made you think that? I don't know about Katsuhiko-niichan, but there's no way Ennosuke-niichan would've harmed Kishida-neechan! He wouldn't hurt a fly!" Bunjiro all but cried.

"But you yourself admitted that it looks bad for Ennosuke-kun, correct? At first, I didn't think much about Ennosuke-kun's puppy-love crush of Kishida-shi, especially when his own brother Ippei-kun vouched that he was still a virgin who no never had close contact with girls up until his attempts at courtship with Kishida-shi. Then again, Akahito-kun's testimony and, come to think of it, Ennosuke-kun's passive-aggressive confession when he said that Bunjiro-kun was lying sealed the deal for me," Tsunemoto countered.

"Remember, he didn't even know that I was going to say that he's not the one who did it! For all he knew, I might've said that he did it or Katsuhiko-niichan did it, and he'll still stay say I lied! You shouldn't take what he said seriously! Come on!" Bunjiro insisted.

"It doesn't matter. It checks out with what Oogata-shi testified. When he read your testimonies, the reasons behind them were irrelevant; Oogata-shi still took note that only three of you were telling the truth regardless. Ennosuke-kun is the most likely suspect in terms of both the testimonies and motivation behind the crime."

* * *

**To be Continued...**

_Next: The solution to the mystery. _

_We're off to find our dreams,_  
**Abdiel**


	25. Chapter 24

**Demon Sword**

A Yuyu Hakusho/Rurouni Kenshin Crossover Fan Fiction by Chester Castañeda

Original Concept by Chad Yang

Everything is about to come together.

_Disclaimer: Yuyu Hakusho is the rightful property of Yoshihiro Togashi, Shueisha, Fuji TV, and St. Pierrot. Rurouni Kenshin is the rightful property of Nobuhiro Watsuki and Sony. This disclaimer also covers all the other copyrighted material that are far too many to mention here. Don't sue me please, I'm very poor._

* * *

**Chapter 24: Smile Bomb (Part 6)**

* * *

_Two weeks after the attack at Genkai's temple, inside the Shinjuku Police Station... _

"You're insane, lady. Like I said, there's no way that that overgrown mama's boy is going to be raping anybody, not the least of which someone who's already rejected him countless times before. He, like, Akahito, is more concerned about collecting anime videotapes and model kits than having relations with women. He's completely harmless. Stop this nonsense," Ippei Shimamura, the eldest of all the brothers, admonished Detective Aiko Tsunemoto.

"I like how you conveniently left out the point that he's been stalking Kishida-shi all this time. How well do you know your brother, Ippei-kun? Let me remind you that as recently as four years ago, the Little Girl Murders took place. The Otaku Murderer was also an avid collector of the things you describe. Many known criminals and sexual predators are loners and social misfits."

"You're clueless. Ennosuke is not the otaku in the family! That's Akahito! Ennosuke's obsessed about cartoons, but I'm seriously not buying your bullshit that cartoon obsession can cause people to rape and murder others! By your logic, Akahito's the likelier suspect than Ennosuke, which isn't saying much because even if you can link the nerdy tendencies of those two to a murderer who also happened to be a nerd, it still doesn't prove shit!"

"Oh really? While correlation doesn't necessarily equal causation, in order for something to be the cause of another thing, correlation remains essential. I have reasonable doubt to believe that Ennosuke-kun is guilty of the crimes committed against Kishida Miki-shi in terms of motivation. You say that Akahito-kun is more entrenched in otaku culture than Ennosuke-kun? Then that means that he, more than anyone else in this room, understands Ennosuke-kun's neurotic, obsessive tendencies in terms of an otaku's unfulfilled sexual longings."

"You're walking on thin ice, detective. No one... not _one_ of my sons had sexual relations with that girl!" Kunihiko blustered while Ippei glanced towards Akahito's direction with bulging eyes, as if to mime, 'Defend yourself, dumbass!'

Alas, the fourth brother and third quintuplet of the Shimamura family found himself at a loss for words, his indignation battling with his own shame at being labeled a freak by society ever since Tsutomu Miyazaki... also known as Dracula, the Otaku Murderer, and the Little Girl Murderer... made the headlines nationwide. If anything, Akahito was also quite aware that Miki rejected Ennosuke specifically because of the infamy of otaku.

Detective Aiko worked herself up to a storm, delivering her conclusion with the same zeal as a prosecutor would when presenting his closing argument, which naturally impressed Katsumi Kishida's lady lawyer.

"Besides which, had Ennosuke-kun perpetrated the two crimes, then he'd merely be acting on the compulsive, antisocial behavior of otaku; revenge of a stalker who is incapable of handling rejection like a mature individual. The puzzle pieces fit together perfectly. I wouldn't be surprised if Ennosuke-kun began blaming some sort of 'Rat Man' for his actions during his actual court hearing."

From behind the eye-rolling Natsuki Shinkai, Likka inquired, "What the hell is Detective Lovechild talking about? The 'Rat Man' quip, I mean."

The half-Chinese girl clarified, "'Rat Man' is the alter ego that the Otaku Murderer claimed to have during his trial. He claims that Rat Man was the one who forced him to do his atrocities against his four young victims, the damn pedophile."

"In accordance to police procedure and your own deductions regarding Oogata-shi's testimony, I think you'll agree with me that Ennosuke-kun is beyond the shadow of a doubt the murderer of Kishida Miki-shi." Detective Tsunemoto made her way beside the trembling and tearful Katsumi. "Isn't that right, Katsumi-san?"

"M-My sister had mentioned to me that one of the Shimamura quintuplets who has been harassing her has betrayed her, and if anything were to happen to her, I should go to the police and tell you people everything she's told me." The shaken Kishida daughter withheld a sob, covering her face with her hands.

To everyone's surprise and Detective Aiko's smug satisfaction, the listless Ennosuke cracked at long last, dropping to his knees and screaming till his voice became ragged. "Take me away. I don't care anymore. Just take me away, dammit. I wasn't there for her when she needed me the most."

"Yes, yes. You weren't there for Kishida-shi when your alter ego did those horrible, unspeakable things to her. I'm sure an insanity plea is your best bet at the moment, scumbag" Tsunemoto declared as she whipped out her handcuffs and motioned for both Officers Takumi Hamada and Shigetaka Uye to assist her in arresting Ennosuke.

"Ennosuke-niichan!" Bunjiro cried out in despair and disbelief as even Ennosuke's main accuser, Akahito, almost went ahead and broke formation in order to protect his brother from an otaku-based witch hunt of sorts. However, the brothers all went back to their places once Natsuki started speaking.

"I'm afraid you fell into the same trap as Officer Uye did, Detective Tsunemoto. Look at the lineup again. You'll see that there are more than three people who are telling the truth if it were Ennosuke-kun who did."

"Oh, here you go again. Your lineup of the Shimamura brothers perfectly shows that there are three people who are pointing their fingers at Ennosuke-kun, and they're Ennosuke-kun himself, Akahito-kun, and Houjo-kun because he's saying that it was neither Katsuhiko-kun or himself, so that means he's implying that Ennosuke-kun did it."

"You're forgetting that Oogata-shi said that only three of them were telling the truth, so if it was Ennosuke-kun who did it, then four people are confirming that allegation this time around. Houjo-kun says it was neither Katsuhiko-kun or himself, Goemon-kun says it was not Katsuhiko-kun, Ennosuke-kun says that Bunjiro-kun isn't telling the truth and that he did it, and Akahito-kun says that Ennosuke-kun is guilty. All these statements are true if Ennosuke were guilty."

"I knew you'd pull something like this, you little brat." Detective Aiko hissed as she faced off with the amateur schoolgirl detective. "Didn't you just hear what I said? Motivation, opportunity, and evidence establishing these two are all essential in finding out the true perp. We now have two confessions in our hands now, and I've already presented my case in regards to Ennosuke-kun. If the only thing you have is Oogata-shi's vague testimony, then your dubious argument hasn't got a leg to stand on."

Ignoring Tsunemoto's remarks and the worried tug Likka gave her outfit's sleeve, Natsuki continued. "The suspect isn't that hard to figure out. Out of the five suspects, the brothers only pointed fingers at three of them. In reality, you only have three suspects. You shouldn't be distracted by red herrings like Ippei-san essentially saying that all three are innocent by backing up Houjo-kun's testimony or Ennosuke-kun claiming that a brother of his is lying. By the process of elimination and from Oogata-shi's hint, we can conclude that Houjo-kun is the one who did it."

Houjo shrunk back and looked uncomfortably at the curious eyes that suddenly surrounded him, but a reassuring nod from Katsuhiko kept him from slinking back. "I-I don't know why you're letting that girl derail this investigation of yours, but my statement before is still the same. Neither Katsuhiko-niichan nor I committed those crimes. I'm not sure about Ennosuke-kun because of the stalking thing, but I'm only going with what I know, man."

"Now you're just being ridiculous, young lady. The pattern I've noticed throughout this back and forth is that every time we think up a suspect, there are always quite a lot of people who's telling the truth because of all the contradictory statements. If anything, we may have used the process of elimination, but what if our star witness, Oogata-shi, made a mistake and not one of the conditions produces only three people who are telling the truth?" Officer Shigetaka questioned.

Flatly, Natsuki replied as she shot back a glare at Uye, "Check them. You'll see that only three of them are telling the truth if it were Houjo-kun who's the suspect."

Hearing Uye's lack of a response, the gi-wearing Likka supplied the answer for him. "Let's see, there's Doi-kun who's saying that it was either Katsuhiko-kun or Houjo-kun, there's Bunjiro-kun who's saying that it wasn't Ennosuke-kun, and there's Goemon-kun who's saying that it wasn't Katsuhiko-kun. All the rest of them aren't telling the truth, or are at least mistaken."

"I-Is this true, Houjo-kun? D-Did you really rape and kill Kishi-san?" the slack-jawed Ennosuke queried in such a way that made it seem like he was pleading for a denial. Meanwhile, Katsumi's ears perked up after hearing Ennnosuke's pet name for her sister.

"O-Of course not! Don't believe what that bitch is saying! She came out of nowhere with that karate chick or whoever like some sort of damn clowns from the circus!" Houjo stated, his hands and eyebrows raised way up in seeming surrender. "A-And what about you? Maybe you did it! You're the only one of us quintuplets who actually stalked whoever that dead chick was!"

Ennosuke fell silent once more after hearing his fellow quintuplet's words, his mind abuzz and stymied from the recent turn of events as he questioned his own memories of "Kishi-san".

"I'm afraid that this time around, you are out of line, miss. Not only is your forceful entry into this investigation highly... unprofessional, your deductions are also suspect." The head of the Shimamuras' team of lawyers adjusted his glasses.

"While it is our legal firm's belief that none of the brothers are guilty of anything, your allegations that it was Shimamura Houjo whom Oogata-shi is accusing is preposterous at best. You have no evidence to back that up save for the off-chance that Oogata-shi actually knew what he was talking about when he claimed that only three of the nine brothers were telling the truth."

"Not only that, but Houjo-kun has a girlfriend and probably never met the girl." Officer Uye interjected, happy that people were finally putting the upstart amateur detective in her place by ganging up on her. "I've interviewed students around campus, and the main rumor surrounding Kishida-shi is that she was able to date one of the Shimamura quintuplets. In light of evidence that Ennosuke-kun couldn't possibly have the social maturity to date Kishida-shi, the most likely suspect remains Katsuhiko-kun, regardless of what Oogata-shi may or may not have said."

Detective Tsunemoto joined in on absolutely destroying Natsuki's one deduction as well. "Motivation-wise, Houjo-kun is a blank slate. In terms of the sheer number of people testifying against him, the fact that there are only three people who _inadvertently_ pointed their fingers at him... Bunjiro-kun, Goemon-kun, and Doi-kun... means that the argument of him being the rapist and murderer of Kishida-shi is quite spurious, to say the least. Also, even though Katsuhiko-kun may have the most accusations of the bunch, Ennosuke-kun had better opportunity to perpetrate the crime since the victim herself knew him."

"Looks like they got you there, Natsuki-chan," came Inspector Masaya Taniguchi's take on the matter as he gave the short-haired girl of mixed heritage a fatherly pat on the shoulder. "At best, the only thing you've really proven today is that you've established who Oogata-shi was attempting to accuse and possibly blackmail before he was killed. You're a very smart girl, and you'd make a fine detective in the force one day. However, solving a brain teaser alone isn't enough to help catch the true perpetrator of this crime."

Her eyes hidden by the shadows of her bangs, Natsuki put her hands on the pistol grip of her cane and held it tight as she resisted the urge to tremble in frustration. Nevertheless, this was the exact scenario she envisioned to happen as soon as she solved the mystery behind Akio Oogata's testimony.

"Tsuki-chan..." Likka called out after a minute of stillness on Natsuki's part.

"Indulge me for a couple of minutes," Natsuki requested after bracing herself for a spell, paying no heed to the wordless, cross-armed poses of defiance offered to her by the Shimamura lawyers, Katsumi's legal representative, Officer Uye, Detective Tsunemoto, and Inspector Taniguchi.

"Although it appears that Houjo-kun has the least likely motivation and opportunity to do what he allegedly did to Kishida Miki-shi, that's not necessarily true. From what I heard earlier, Missus Shimamura is quite disdainful of the quintuplets because they're essentially bastards. An allegation of rape by an illegitimate child would mean getting disowned and cut off from the will regardless of Mister Shimamura's protests. I imagine that's the prevailing motivation behind the second crime, at the very least."

"Well, so? If that's the primary motivation for the murder, then any one of us five would fit the description. Try again. Also, where's the proof for all that?" were Houjo's rapid-fire contentions that were reasonable enough to get nods of agreement from the surrounding officers.

"The best place to hide a tree is in a forest. You had a couple of your brothers choose to use the method of providing contradictory answers to keep yourselves from implicating anyone. Then again, several of them had no idea what was going on, but those who did intentionally gave contradicting testimonies to hide the real suspect."

"THAT'S EVEN MORE PREPOSTEROUS! Are you calling my brothers liars, you little poser?" Houjo snarled while Katsuhiko, who was just a brother away from Houjo, acted out shushing signals to his impetuous quintuplet. "If we really did meet together and plan our testimonies out, wouldn't it make better sense for us to make a unified and consistent testimony so that none of us will get the chance of being implicated? Please, tell me you've thought this through."

Natsuki resumed presenting her argument. "Had the police caught the wrong quintuplet, the Shimamura lawyers would've been able to take care of freeing him due to lack of evidence while keeping the real perpetrator from even standing trial... at least, that was the plan. Judging by the back-and-forth accusations of gold digging and sexual promiscuity on Kishida-shi's part, I suspect that _ that_ was the story you fed your brothers when pleading to them to go along with your plan."

In a softer yet firmer tone, Houjo asserted, "Again, you don't have any proof of what you're saying. These are fascinating rationalizations and speculations, but if I or any one of my brothers is going to be arrested, it would be in the hands of actual law enforcement, thank you very much."

This time around, Natsuki backed up, turned, and addressed the rest of the mesmerized brothers. "Quite a lot of you must have gone along with this scheme in the hopes of protecting your brother from going to jail. But don't you realize that he's the very same brother who's willing to let Katsuhiko-kun or Ennosuke-kun take the blame for his wrongdoings? He was more than willing to throw Ennosuke-kun under the bridge when he himself was accused of this crime. Do you really want to choose this one brother over two others who are probably innocent?"

Just as it looked like Akahito and Fumio were about to say something in response to Natsuki's guesswork, Katsuhiko stepped forward and said, "That's enough, Natsuki-san! You have no proof behind your accusations and I sincerely doubt you even have any idea of what you're saying. Let's end this nonsense. I'm the one who killed Miki-san. There are no ifs or buts about it."

Natsuki could only raise an eyebrow at that. "Hmmm? You allege to have had relations with the victim before murdering her, right? Can you tell us more about her? Her favorite color? Her favorite band? Her mannerisms? Feel free to tell us, because her sister is here to confirm your answers. I want to know how well you knew your alleged victim before you supposedly killed her."

Katsuhiko glanced to the side and his eyes darted back and forth between the floor and Natsuki. "I... I don't need to answer any of your questions. She's a liar who wants to claim I raped her and that she has my child, so I had no choice but to kill her b-because of the motive you've just presented. I didn't want to be disowned."

Natsuki shook her head. "Please, don't lie anymore. You're terrible at it, and you'll end up contradicting yourself if you continue. Actually, I doubt you've ever even met Kishida-shi, especially when considering your lack of a pet name for her. Don't tell me you randomly killed a stranger for no apparent reason. In fact, you look more like someone who's trying to cover up for your brother's misdeeds. Believe me, it's not worth it, and I sincerely doubt that Kishida-shi is as evil as Houjo-kun portrayed her."

"You know who else might know Kishida-shi's favorite color or band? Her stalker," Detective Tsunemoto interpolated, but her insinuation was then countered by a timely rebuttal of "You do realize that Ennosuke-kun never confessed, right? I'll further postulate that both Bunjiro-kun and Ennosuke-kun had talked about the latter's crush on Kishida-san, which was known to them by the name 'Kishi'."

"That doesn't disprove that it might have been Ennosuke-kun who did it," the detective contended, to which Natsuki replied, "It does explain why Ennosuke-kun claims that Bunjiro-kun is lying even before knowing Bunjiro-kun's testimony; he had an idea what it was going to be and, in a fit of guilt, contradicted it."

"So you're agreeing with me? Doing something in a fit of guilt sounds more like a confession to me than anything else," the adamant Tsunemoto challenged.

"Didn't you hear what I said? He contradicted the _truth_ in a fit of guilt. He's blaming himself for Kishida-shi's death and he wants to take the blame, perhaps believing that his stalking has driven the girl to frame either him or one of his fellow quintuplets for her death. The love of his life is dead and he doesn't want any of his family members to suffer because of what he believes to be his failures; damn the consequences. He wasn't even aware that a brother of his betrayed him, and this betrayal may be too much for his mind to take at the moment because of his severe trauma."

Natsuki put her hands on her back, her cane slung over her forearms, as she paced back and forth the room while all eyes were on her. "In any case, once Oogata-shi took a look at the brothers' testimonies, it was easy to see who among them were telling the truth in his eyes. There was zero chance for confusion if you already know the answer. I'm guessing that Kishida-shi's ex-boyfriend stalked her as well, to the point of perhaps even witnessing the murder take place. Because he's a scumbag, instead of going to the police, he waited for it to unfold because he deemed this as a moneymaking opportunity."

"All right, _fuck_ this cunt; why are you police officers even allowing this bitch to speak? Is this 'show and tell' time at the local kindergarten? Fuck you, you unprofessional pieces of shit," Houjo objected, pointing out the Shinjuku Police's blatant disregard for S.O.P.

"Proof please. I want proof. You have no proof. All you have are half-assed guesses and hearsay. They all sound intelligent and shit, but they aren't any more convincing than all the other arguments presented earlier."

Houjo broke from the Likka-imposed lineup and further exposed, "What I said earlier, I'm sticking with it. I don't know about Ennosuke-kun, but I'm sure that I didn't do nothing to Mikan-san or whoever, and neither did a boy scout like Katsuhiko-niichan. In fact, you even proved that point by exposing his lack of familiarity with the whore. That's good. Hooray for you. But all that shit about us orchestrating our testimonies to contradict? Come on. Get real. The one witness that the victim's sister had is dead anyway. As long as you don't have any solid proof against us, nothing you say will hold any water. Not in this police station, and certainly not in court."

"For someone who has very little proof on hand save for a dead witness's testimony, she actually had a lot of spot-on deductions," assessed a sultry voice from the interrogation room's entrance. As everyone turned, they were greeted with the trench-coated vision of a tall, raven-haired detective with green eyes and sharp spikes for bangs.

Respective greetings of "Uncle Jiji!" and "Sempai!" were uttered by Likka and Natsuki.

"Matsudaira-kun! You son of a bitch; I was just about to fire you for being M.I.A. for days-on-end and making this teenage girl serve as your messenger," the voluptuous inspector hailed his favorite detective with half-serious rage and half-hopeful anticipation. "Please tell me you didn't waste your time hunting for that Kanji Killer and kept your investigation strictly on this case."

Daiji Matsudaira shrugged. "Didn't you get my message? Oogata-shi's one testimony before he got killed checks out. He has been aiming his finger at Shimamura Houjo all along; he might as well said it was him straight out."

"PROOF! You still don't have any proof, coppers! Give me your evidence, or let's see each other in court!" Houjo felt the rest of his legal threats die out upon seeing the emotionless glare from Daiji's eyes; it was as though part of his soul got sucked into an endless void.

"Natsuki-kun already discussed your possible motives, so let's take a look at the facts regarding this case, shall we? You're a ladies man despite having settled down with a girlfriend from a rich and influential family only last year, and you're even one of five identical quintuplets to boot. There's ample opportunity and extra motives for your crimes right there."

"What the hell are you implying, man?" Houjo barked. "Are you trying to cover for your underage girlfriend's questionable conclusions or something? So what if we're quintuplets? What's your point? What does that have to do with anything?"

"Like Natsuki said, the best place to hide a tree is in a forest. You didn't merely use this tactic when you convinced Katsuhiko, Akahito, and Fumio into giving false testimonies that directly contradicted with the rest of your brothers' confessions. You also used it to perpetrate the grievous crime of passion that forced you to murder Kishida-shi in the first place."

"Wait a second. You aren't honestly suggesting...?" Tsunemoto managed to interpose before Matsudaira interrupted her interruption, the male detective knowing too all well his colleague's penchant for derailing a conversation.

"The best way for you to protect yourself from getting caught while cheating is through your own quintuplet. Who's to say that the person who stalked Kishida-shi was Ennosuke and Ennosuke alone? What if you, knowing what you knew of the girl, decided to take advantage of your brother's unwillingness to contact her normally and used his identity to win her over?"

"You don't have any proof of that! Fuck, why would you even think that? This isn't some sort of movie about twins switching places, this is a rape-slay case!" Houjo ground his teeth, his eyes circular and wide as his volatile temper flared. "Besides, we're quintuplets; why are you pinning this preposterous allegation on me when there are four others who look just like me?"

"That was a nice attempt at using the 'Appeal to Ridicule' fallacy, but that won't work in light of all the facts I've gathered. Also, let me remind you, I'm pinning this on you because our first real lead on the case indicated you as the perp." The six-feet-two detective pulled a chair and sat on it with the backrest in front of him, his elbows resting on top of it while he interlaced his fingers together.

"Anyway, I've been interviewing your friends, colleagues, teachers, and schoolmates for the past week since I figured out Oogata-shi's hint. From January to February of this year, your friends and even your girlfriend have noticed that you had a tendency to take regular toilet breaks and rain checks ever since your brother started bothering the deceased Kishida Miki. One of them even joked that you were acting like Clark Kent or Bruce Wayne in the middle of a crisis because of your regular absences from club duty and whatnot."

"That still doesn't prove anything." Houjo huffed as he tossed his head back and let out a chuckle. "It doesn't matter where I went and it has nothing to do with this case."

"Actually, it establishes quite a lot. To further check my theory, I also interviewed various staff and crew from the Shimamura mansion on the west side of Shinjuku, near the Park Hyatt Hotel. Here are the tapes, statements, and interviews I've collected throughout my investigation," Matsudaira declared as he took out the miscellaneous pieces of evidence from his trench coat and handed them over to Inspector Taniguchi.

"Curiously enough, the maid responsible for your laundry noticed that you have less amounts of laundry than before during the date range I indicated, which is strange because you're supposedly the one who changes out of your outfits most often because you're as big of a social butterfly as Ippei is. What's more, she noted that for some reason, Ennosuke has double the laundry. She also once observed that a whole wardrobe of Ennosuke's is still missing, and she found piece of Ennosuke's clothing in your pile and vice-versa."

This time around, Houjo shrunk back as he felt the eyes of four policemen, many lawyers, his brothers, his parents (or his father and stepmother), the victim's sister, and several other people bore right into him. "D-Do you have anything that's not just circumstantial? Don't you realize how ridiculous your theories sound? If you want to know why Ennosuke-kun has more laundry nowadays, then ask him, dammit! He's become almost as much of an otaku slob as Akahito-kun that even he hasn't been able to keep track of what he's wearing."

"I've been wondering why Sakura-san has been complaining about my increased amount of laundry," Ennosuke deadpanned, which shut Houjo up immediately. "I've been wondering why I've had less clothes to pick through since two months ago. The fact that you a smaller pile of laundry although you're always out of the house is also suspicious. Please continue, Mister Detective."

"You have quite the interesting M.O., Shimamura Houjo. In order to cover up Kishida-shi's murder, you made it look like she was killed by the Kanji Killer or a Kanji Killer copycat. In order to cover up any implicating accusation from your group testimony, you asked several of your brothers to intentionally give contradictory statements. In order to cover up your rape of Kishida-shi, you pretended to be one of your quintuplet brothers."

"THOSE ARE LIES! You know what you sound like right now? You sound like a deranged conspiracy theorist! You sound like my brother Akahito-kun when he's talking about his collection of action figures! That's complete and utter fucking BULLSHIT!"

"Valentine's Day."

"...What?"

"I discovered quite a lot of interesting things when I interviewed all the people linked to you during Valentine's Day. For one thing, although all the quintuplets were unaccounted for during the proposed date of Kishida-shi's murder, February 28, you were the only one missing from your home during the date of February 14."

"Of course. I was having a date with my girlfriend. Does this even have a point?" Houjo brusquely cut Matsudaira off, but the detective didn't even flinch as he resumed disclosing his findings.

"You say that you're with your girlfriend? Okay then. Each and every last one of the quintuplets were back at the mansion for a single's party of commiseration along with their little brothers after school." Matsudaira then requested Taniguchi to flip through page 16 of one of the folders.

"From what the hired help told me, Katsuhiko was having a hard time getting over his gold digger girlfriend, nerdy Akahito never even had a girlfriend, the ever-congenial Doi shared his collection of chocolates from admirers and friends alike with his brothers, and Ennosuke had recently been rejected by Kishida-shi after months of stalking." Matsudaira cleared his throat.

"Ah, that reminds me. There's something you haven't told the police yet in regards to Ennosuke's relationship with Kishida-shi. Perhaps it was because of this incident that led him to believe he's responsible for her rape and death... not necessarily murder," Matsudaira remarked.

Ennosuke stirred, but remained silent.

Matsudaira addressed Ennosuke directly. "It has something to do with some of your classmates claiming that they saw Kishida-shi talk to you in a friendlier manner in the last few weeks of her existence before she dumped you. It may have been Houjo's doing, but certainly you would've noticed something amiss when Kishida-shi actually began confirming your existence even though your brother was posing as you all along."

The geeky quintuplet froze in doe-eyed horror upon hearing the horns of the metaphoric eighteen-wheeler truck Matsudaira drove at him. Even though he was at his wits' end and people probably wouldn't believe him and his story, he confessed, "I... we had sex a week before Valentine's Day. I don't know how, but for one reason or another, Kishi-san started to return my feelings. Or maybe it was mixed signals and I misunderstood? I don't know. I'm aware I'm a loser freak and a woman falling in love with her stalker flies right in the face of logic, but..."

The collective gasp of most of those present echoed inside the room. From beside Likka, Natsuki smilingly slammed her open palm with a fist, to the gi-wearing girl's confusion.

"B-But... two days after that, she screamed at me and told me she never wanted to see me again. Then, a few weeks later, I found out that she was killed by the Kanji Killer. I was depressed enough as is when Kishi-san's sister, Katsumi, accused all of us quintuplets for her rape and murder. I had no idea how she got killed, but if she was forced into suicide because of what we did, then I... I... I would've never forgiven myself!"

"That's the reason why you believe that you may have raped Kishida-shi. You've had sex with her two nights before Valentine's Day." Matsudaira nodded before turning towards Katsuhiko. "As for Katsuhiko and the rest of the brothers that Houjo managed to talk to before they offered their testimonies with the rest of the Shimamura siblings, I imagine that Houjo probably claimed Kishida-shi to be a gold digger who wanted to blackmail him for money and ended up dead in the hands of her ex. Katsuhiko was so taken by this story thanks to his past girlfriend's betrayal that he himself volunteered to confess to the crime."

Matsudaira looked Akahito, Fumio, and Katsuhiko in the eyes as he stressed, "Your plan to confuse the police so that all of you would get off the hook from Kishida Katsumi's accusations won't work anymore. Do you really want to protect a brother who'd just betrayed his fellow quintuplet and the woman that he loved? Unless you really want either Katsuhiko or Ennosuke to serve as scapegoats for crimes neither of them committed, I suggest you come clean and let justice be served for that poor, misunderstood girl."

"You are not going to tear our family apart with your lies, Detective!" Houjo met Matsudaira head-on. "Weren't you just saying something about Valentine's? February 14? You were claiming that I wasn't around for my brothers' dumb singles party? Well, that's because I was doing my girlfriend!"

"Please don't lie anymore, Houjo. I've investigated this case thoroughly. There's no escape," Matsudaira warned. "Tell us what happened on February 14 that compelled Kishida-shi to tell her sister that if anything happened to her, she should go to the police and report her rape."

"You've got nothing on me! Fuck you! I fucked my girlfriend on Valentine's Day!"

"Our date was cut short, Houjo-kun. You threatened to break up with me for a night of sex on Valentine's Day, and I refused. I'm not that kind of woman, and we're not at that point in our relationship. You threw a temper tantrum, forced yourself on me, got a face-full of mace, and then left," Houjo's girlfriend declared from behind the door before opening it and letting herself in the interrogation room. "What the hell did you do after I threw you out of my house?"

"S-SET-SAN? What the fuck are you doing here? You have nothing to do with this! Get out of here!" a flabbergasted Houjo exclaimed as he grabbed hold of his hair and tore at it.

"Here's the new rough timeline of events. I want everyone to see this," Matsudaira chirped as he handed his photocopied report even as Houjo began to suffer from some sort of nervous breakdown.

"Set-san? Hmmm. That sounds a lot like 'Mikan', come to think of it. It's funny how you were able to come up with a pet name for your girlfriend that sounds quite like the made-up name you made for a girl you supposedly never met," Natsuki wondered aloud.

At that point, Akahito came forward. "You're right, Detective. Houjo-kun talked us into making those contradictory statements, assuring us that it'd save us from going to jail. B-But... I don't want Ennosuke-kun or Katsuhiko-kun to go to jail just because I went along with my asshole brother's harebrained scheme."

"FUCK YOU, MAN! Don't you dare betray me like this! I never talked to any of you! Fuck, Katsuhiko-niichan, you believe me, right? I never..."

"Man up, Houjo-kun," Katsuhiko told his brother. "It's over. We want to know what the hell you did to that girl's sister. We aren't going to cover your ass anymore. Tell us the whole truth right this instant."

The cornered Houjo backed himself to a bare wall and slowly slid down to a crouch. "Fine. I'll tell you everything. Ennosuke-kun had been stalking Mikan for quite some time, to the point that he almost got in trouble. For the most part, he was an annoyance, and she was just about to confront him when I decided to get into the fun and pretend to be my own brother to show him off and demonstrate how to truly charm a lady. I took his place in pursuing Mikan, but I then put the moves on her as 'Ennosuke' and before you know it, we had a casual fling going on. She's been around the campus, if you know what I mean, and she was looking into the compensated dating scene before I came around. She wanted my money, I know, but then again, I was only leading the slut on.

"She was genuinely scared of Ennosuke-kun's otaku tendencies because of the Otaku Murderer Case back in '89. However, during one of our rendezvous, I wasn't able to show up because I had prior commitments with my girlfriend who was getting suspicious of me and whoever I've been spending my time with. One thing led to another, and Mikan ended up making out with my virgin quintuplet, thinking he was me. Ennosuke was ecstatic that the object of his pestering returned his feelings, but she noticed the difference between him and me because of the pet name thing as well. Like the slut that she was, she dated my clueless brother behind my back while she started drifting away from me and our own dates.

"She eventually confronted me, Ennosuke Number Two, about the situation and how I've lied to her all this time, demanding to know which quintuplet I really was. I didn't want the chick to blackmail me or anything, so I said she should be happy to have two Shimamura brothers after her instead of only one. She didn't like the implications of what I said, of course, but I had no intention of leaving my girlfriend over some bimbo who can't keep her skirt down. I left her, vowing never to impersonate my brother again. In a comedy of errors, because she still wasn't sure who the real 'Ennosuke' was, she ended up screaming at the original Ennosuke who stalked her, which he eventually took to heart, entering in a state of depression of sorts.

"Valentine's Day. My girlfriend was being a frigid bitch at the time and wouldn't put out. Meanwhile, Ennosuke-kun was moping because of the rejection he just took from Mikan rooting from a misunderstanding. I had blue balls, man, and I found out that she fell for Ennosuke-kun bad and wanted to make amends, so I decided to impersonate him for one last time to... well, make amends for him in his place. I figured that they'll get back together, and I'll get to have some pussy.

"It would've been a win-win proposition for everyone involved. When we got together, she was more than willing to make up with 'Ennosuke'. It was a foolproof plan, and I was doing my bro a favor, the way I saw it. We went to a motel and did it. However, I called her the wrong name in the middle of orgasm and she found out that I fooled her. She was angrier than ever before. Unfortunately for me, she had put two-and-two together and she'd been researching about us quintuplets many days prior.

"She threatened to expose me to my girlfriend and the rest of the world for rape and impersonating my brother if I didn't give in to her demands for shush money. So no, I wasn't lying when I told my brothers that she was a gold digger. Anyway, during one Sunday, while my brothers were off doing their own thing, I met with the bitch and gave her what's coming to her. I thought the whole thing would blow over once she was classified as another Kanji Killer victim, but then _this_ shit happened."

"MONSTER! You killed her! The only girl that ever really cared for me, and you fucking RAPED her pretending you were me then KILLED her when she threatened to go to the cops, you fucking coward!" Ennosuke raged as his spittle and spite flew all over, the nearby Officer Hamada catching him before he could strangle his traitorous quintuplet. "She probably didn't ask for money; you made it up because you were afraid of going to jail and getting disowned by Hikaru-san!"

"Mikan. She was called Mikan by her killer. Not Kishi-san. Not Miki-san. MIKAN!"

Just then, from inside her sleeve, Katsumi brandished a homemade shiv and charged at the defenseless Houjo. However, she was apprehended by a hard strike on her wrist care of Natsuki's metal cane, the makeshift weapon clattering on the tiled floor. "Don't do this. It's over. Let justice be served, Katsumi-san. The last thing your sister would want is to see your life ruined."

"Please don't judge my sister," Katsumi pleaded to no one in particular. "She fell behind her studies because she had to work part-time to support me. In order for her to not get kicked out, she did favors for her perverted teachers and earned a reputation. She may be soiled and dirty, but she did it because of me. Please don't judge my sister."

And just as everyone was distracted by the sudden turn of events, the listless Houjo sprang back to life in order to finish himself off with the fallen shiv. The blade was about to pierce into his jugular when he got knocked out by the diminutive Likka's "FLYING KICK!"

From there, the whole room felt dead silent as everyone stared at the might of Daiji Matsudaira's sister-in-law. "What? Don't tell me none of you wanted to do that to this scumbag." She shrugged.

* * *

_Just outside the Metropolitan Police Department's Shinjuku Police Station, in the evening... _

"My friend, if what happened in that interrogation room is any indication, what we're witnessing right now is the destruction of society. Decency is nonexistent and monsters are now feasting upon the weak and helpless. I shall go back to my apartment, retire in my room, get my Walkman, and reflect upon the collapse of civilization and the end of the world," Likka summarized after she and Natsuki had given their statements to the less-than-enthused Officer Uye and Detective Tsunemoto.

"I'd say you're being melodramatic, Likka-tan, but from what I've witnessed earlier, you might not be far off," Natsuki said, her head still spinning from the grueling confrontation they all went through earlier.

The half-Chinese girl smirked and sighed upon remembering that in the end, Detective Matsudaira's brand of in-depth investigation won the day. "We might as well have juggled and did magic tricks to distract the people inside until sempai got there. He's still the one who ultimately solved the case."

"Whatever, little girl; I told you you'd do better with your deductions this time around than the last time. Heck, even Uncle Jiji thanked you for assisting him with the investigation. Granted, Inspector Bulldog wasn't as thankful, but he still let you help because he knew you had the right stuff. You even stopped the victim's sister from committing a crime and ruining her life! It's as if you were born to be a police officer," Likka waxed lyrical even as her half-Chinese friend waved off her praise.

As per the police's S.O.P., Houjo had been put on suicide watch while in police custody. Instead of posting bail immediately, Mister Shimamura decided to let his son stay in prison while he and his lawyers discussed their present options, especially in light of the fact that the protection of Family Court wasn't going to cut it this time for this juvenile delinquent because of the gravity of his heinous crimes.

Furthermore, as the bruised and dizzied Houjo was taken away to jail, his thoroughly embarrassed family members unable or unwilling to do much of anything except promise to bail him out later on before his trial started, the kowtowed Officer Uye switched from his "Katsuhiko is guilty! This is an open-and-shut case!" stance and mocked the perp, saying that he was probably the one responsible for the death of Akio Oogata as well.

Houjo swore up and down that he had nothing to do with Oogata's murder because he planned to instead pay off the goon. However, since he killed the last person he promised a bribe to, it was only natural for the police to take his statements with a grain of salt. Conversely, there was still little to no solid evidence of him committing that particular crime, so it probably would not become part of the charges used against him by Katsumi's lawyer.

In the middle of Inspector Taniguchi wrapping everything up while half-berating, half-congratulating Detective Matsudaira for his unorthodox way of handling the case, Natsuki was able to pilfer some information regarding the murder of Oogata-shi. The skill level used to kill him definitely had the earmarks of the true Kanji Killer, but the deliberate use of the "Hon" character was inconsistent with the usual Kanji Killer cases.

"Between you and me, the first few murders of the Kanji Killer were things he did to mock the police. The more I analyze his earliest crimes, the more convinced I am that his M.O. roots from using the M.O. of others to cover his own tracks," Matsudaira intimated before sorting out his share of the paperwork.

'So this bizarre case ended up cluing me in on the whereabouts of the real One-Eight-Ten Killer after all,' Natsuki considered as she thanked her lucky stars for the inadvertent lead. As a favor for helping Daiji solve the case, she requested Inspector Taniguchi to tell her the details surrounding Akio Oogata's death just four days ago, on March 13.

Naturally, she got shouted down by the pear-shaped inspector right away. However, like always, he was able to relay a couple of facts that he could reveal to wannabe detectives and civilians like her. At the time of Oogata-shi's murder, Officer Hamada was frozen down by an unknown force before being ambushed by, for all intents and purposes, a kappa of ancient Japanese mythology or Springheel Jack of western urban folklore.

Natsuki frowned as she reviewed the Kanji Killer description given to her by the inspector in her mind. The attacker allegedly had eyes that resembled smoldering coal, silver hair, a pallid complexion fit for a corpse, a frightening Glasgow smile with a set of teeth as eerily uniform as the ivory keys of a piano, and a tight black outfit that covered most of his head except for his hair and face. 'He sounds absolutely ridiculous.'

Nevertheless, Natsuki clutched her trusty cane tightly as she prepared for the opportunity to face off with a man that, to her, was the very personification of Mister Edward Hyde: The epitome of humanity's utmost depravity and the basest of mankind's impulses.

"Are you sure you're fine going home by yourself? I get it, you can handle yourself with that weird 'cane-style' kung fu of yours, but I don't want you to again end up walking around in the rain without an umbrella," said Likka as she pushed down the feeling of unplaceable dread at the pit of her stomach over something she couldn't quite put her finger on.

Natsuki gave Likka one of her smiles that didn't quite reach her eyes, which worried the Matsudaira sister-in-law even more. "Don't worry your pretty little head, Likka-tan. I have an escort waiting for me."

* * *

_From behind a confined alleyway concealed within the large shadows cast by Kabukicho's monolithic structures, near Shinjuku's Skyscraper District... _

"We're almost at my apartment, Officer," revealed Natsuki as she rode from behind the masked Officer Hamada on his custom-built, siren-fitted Suzuki GSX-R750. "In fact, you can drop me off now. I can walk from here on end."

"It would be rude for me to leave you here in the middle of an alleyway, young lady. I've already had someone die in my watch, and I wouldn't want you to be the next one to do so," Hamada mumbled from behind his facemask, which prompted Natsuki to bizarrely declare, "Oh grandma, what big eyes you have..."

To Officer Hamada's surprise, the young lady let go of her grip around his waist and jumped off of the motorcycle before it could clear the passage. The policeman ground the vehicle to a halt and called out, "Have you gone mad, young woman? You would've been injured have we been going any faster."

Natsuki merely responded, "Oh grandma, what big ears you have," as she stood from her crouched landing position and dusted herself off.

"I'm not playing games here, Shinkai Natsuki-san. Let me get you back to your apartment already."

"Oh grandma, what big teeth you have." She brandished her cane with her left arm. "I have no intention of leading you back to my home. We're going to face off right here and now. Why did you kill Oogata-shi?"

After a minute's pause, the officer got off his motorcycle, pocketed his keys, and unleashed an uneven cackle that bordered on throwing an epileptic fit. "How did you know that I wasn't Officer Hamada?"

"Well, for one thing, even though you share the same build, you're slightly more muscular than the Officer Hamada I know. I'm surprised the other people in the station didn't notice it earlier and saw through your awful disguise. In any case, for someone who had just gotten through a terrible bout of colds, you look quite strong and sturdy."

The fake Hamada bellowed in cacophonic hilarity once more as he opened "his" vehicle's trunk and took out his weapons of choice: a daisho, otherwise known as a matching pair of an uchigatana and wakizashi. "Is that it? It's amazing how you've lucked out with a mere hunch!" the imposter lunged at Natsuki with his twin blades, but he was then caught flatfooted by how easily the girl blocked and parried his strike.

"The second thing that clued me in is the fact that Officer Hamada was spared by the Kanji Killer in the first place. Out of the Kanji Killer's confirmed seven victims, only one survived; perhaps two if a suspected escapee really is connected to the Kanji Killer case. Officer Hamada wasn't even injured, only knocked out, from what his report suggests."

The Hamada impersonator increased the pressure of his attacks and varied the angles of his slashes, but the athletic female was able to compensate for his aggressiveness by increasing her feints and peppering him with shuddering counterstrikes every so often he overcommitted to any given offensive, which forced him to back off and ease up on his intense onslaught.

"So I thought up two conclusions. One was that for whatever reason, Officer Hamada took it upon himself to murder Oogata-shi in cold blood. Or two, that Officer Hamada had ended up in cahoots with the Kanji Killer and let him kill Oogata-shi. Whichever the case, I never expected to actually be fighting _the_ Kanji Killer himself right now."

He was no match; after years of research on the Kanji Killer's modus operandi, Natsuki had long ago figured out his moves. The horizontal slash represented "Ichi"; the two slashes that diagonally pointed upward represented "Hachi"; the cross slash represented "Ju"; any combination of the three thereof resulted in the formation of the amalgamated "Ichi-Hachi-Ju" characters. As far as she knew, there was nothing the Kanji Killer could throw at her that she couldn't block or counter.

"But you're not the true Kanji Killer, are you? Or rather, you're not the Kanji Killer that the police are looking for. Compared to you, that Kanji Killer was sloppy with his work and left far too many proofs of his existence. You're an expert assassin. You don't usually leave witnesses; if there were any, they'd be injured or near dying. You weren't exactly subtle with your killing tactics, but you would never have left such obvious markings on your victims like some sort of mindless, conceited fool pretending to be a villainous version of Zorro."

'Looks like Daiji-sempai was right again.' Natsuki sighed inwardly as she fell into her impregnable defensive stance and patiently waited for her opponent to open up once more as she unleashed laser-like potshots and counters in the meantime. "The Kanji Killer that the police are searching for is your copycat. You're the original Kanji Killer, a shadow assassin that was too skilled to even be caught by local law enforcement."

The true Kanji Killer attempted employing his signature back-pass technique that he used to catch his greatest opponent off-guard against Natsuki. However, to his amazement and incredulity, the little girl before him showed superior defense and reaction time than the man who defeated him in his past life by ducking under his surprise attack and stabbing the tip of her cane into his throat.

"When you killed Oogata-shi, you even showed off how much you disdained your clone by using the 'Hon' character deliberately instead of the 'Ichi-Hachi-Ju' character he was known for. Now tell me; why did you kill Oogata-shi? Are you attempting to clean up the mess of your own doppelganger? Are you off to kill him instead?"

The Kanji Killer croaked and hacked, but instead of becoming unsettled, he trembled and chortled with what appeared to be growing excitement. "You've impressed me with your detective skills, young lady. You're a very smart girl. You can even fight like a tigress. Xinhai was right about you. You are a handful."

"Son of a...! How did you...?" Natsuki yelled, her perfect stance marred by her own emotionality as she heard a name she thought she'd never hear again. She recovered quickly enough to block fifty continuous slashes from the revitalized serial killer before she suddenly froze in the middle of countering the back-pass technique again as soon as her eyes met his, his shades slipping on the bridge of his nose. 'What's going on? I can't move! What...'

The back-pass slash landed hard on Natsuki's right side, tearing apart her clothing and leaving a messy diagonal gash that went from her lower right ribs, in between her breasts, and all the way to her left shoulder.

"You're right. I am the one whom Xinhai copied. I heard from Hamada that you and that tall detective were calling him the One-Eight-Ten Killer. No, that is incorrect. The character you're referring to is Hei, hence the name of my kenjutsu school, Nikaido Heiho."

Natsuki ended up prone on the ground. Unlike Kenshin Himura who actually had an idea of what the Shin no Ippo was, she wasn't able to move away in time as her opponent kept her paralyzed and stabbed her right in the stomach with his wakizashi. She didn't scream, but her belabored gasp as the air gushed forth her agape mouth spoke volumes.

"Such pain. Such suffering. Such anguish. I can see the lines of jaki flowing out of you in plumes. No wonder he's so strong. No wonder he kept you alive."

"W-What are you talking about?" Natsuki gurgled as she felt the sticky red warmth spread across her undershirt in two different places, her vision a haze of stinging tears and a vignette of creeping darkness.

* * *

**To be Continued...**

_Next: The Kanji Killer versus the world. _

_We're off to find our dreams,_  
**Abdiel**


	26. Chapter 25

**Demon Sword**

A Yuyu Hakusho/Rurouni Kenshin Crossover Fan Fiction by Chester Castañeda

Original Concept by Chad Yang

I suspect this arc happened because I've been watching too much Detective Conan.

_Disclaimer: Yuyu Hakusho is the rightful property of Yoshihiro Togashi, Shueisha, Fuji TV, and St. Pierrot. Rurouni Kenshin is the rightful property of Nobuhiro Watsuki and Sony. This disclaimer also covers all the other copyrighted material that are far too many to mention here. Don't sue me please, I'm very poor._

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**Chapter 25: Smile Bomb (Part 7)**

* * *

_From behind a narrow alleyway hidden in shadows created by Kabukicho's neon lights, near Shinjuku's Skyscraper District..._

"Xinhai started off as the reincarnation of a swordsman considered to be a complete joke during his own time; a whipped dog, if you will. He merely copied my style in his attempts to grow stronger, but in the end, because of his own depravity and desperation, he somehow became one of the strongest Shin Ju out there."

"S-Shinju? As in Shinjuku? What are you talking about? How do you know Xinhai Feng's name? What did you do to the real Hamada Takumi?" asked Natsuki.

For a cunning serial killer that had never been on the police's radar until a copycat of his exposed his techniques to the general public, the Kanji Killer was completely nuts.

"You have no idea who Xinhai Feng is and how powerful he has become. Even if I told you, it'd all sound gibberish to you. Shin Ju. Class-S. Jaki. The Chojin. None of these things will register in your brain at this point regardless of how intelligent you may appear."

"You're the reason why Xinhai has become so powerful. The very fact that you're trying to hunt him down for revenge is what gives him great strength. You share a dark bond with him. Your obsession, your cries for justice, and your never-ending trauma is what makes him strong, and even with that knowledge, you'll still pursue him, like sheep to the slaughter. What has Xinhai done to you make your hatred of him this strong?"

"SHUT UP!" The adrenalin coursing through Natsuki's damaged body assisted her in landing a sharp blow that tore apart the Kanji Killer's facemask and broke his shades. To her horror, her desperate actions revealed a man that perfectly fit the ridiculous description she heard earlier: He had flaming charcoal eyes, symmetrical teeth, a face-splitting grin, and a zombie-like complexion; a cross between the decaying corpses of a mime and a clown. "W-What are you?"

The Kanji Killer smiled a slightly crooked, bloody smile after he recovered from the blow. "Good hit. But you know what? The fact that Xinhai is using you and many others to produce the dark energy that the Chojin needs to build his army pisses me off. How about I do you a favor by killing you and destroying his main energy source?"

The unmistakable mention of the name of the man Natsuki tracked down from Taiwan to Tokyo compelled her to stand up and growl, "I don't know what your deal is, but I have no intention of dying here without confronting that man even once."

Alas, the shaky girl's valiant speech was drowned out by the incessant cackling of the Kanji Killer, the mere notion of cutting off Xinhai's main source of jaki exciting him enough to use the Shin no Ippo to the fullest. "In the distant past, I was called Kurogasa. You may call me Udo Jine, because that name means nothing in this era, and you yourself won't be seeing the next sunrise."

Again, Natsuki found herself paralyzed in the face of the Nikaido Heiho succession technique. Her dizziness, clammy skin, and compromised health doubled the One-Sided Heart's standard effectiveness and turned her into a flesh-and-blood statue. 'Dammit, no. I don't want to die yet. I won't let that man win. I will not die a victim.'

* * *

Just as Udo barreled towards Natsuki for the kill, his uchigatana raised above his head at the stationary girl, a sharpened, thorny stem of a single rose stalk pierced through his hand with the precision of an sniper. The black-eyed serial killer roared in indignation.

"Who's there?" Udo grumbled, his pupils dilating as soon as he took a gander at the redheaded vision of androgyny that was Shuichi Minamino. The undead murderer couldn't help but do a double-take at what he swore was the taller, more suave version of Battousai. Beside him was a leather-clad, tight-pants-wearing blue-haired girl with a baseball bat in one hand and a sheathed sword strapped to her belt. "Who are you people?"

"Would you believe, Tuxedo Mask?" was what Kurama was tempted to quip because of his rose-throwing, speech-giving shenanigans. However, he instead opted to answer, "I'm Kurama. This is Botan. We've come here in order to know more about the Chojin's M.O. in gathering jaki, Kanji Killer. What's your connection to that young girl you almost killed?"

"I see. You're one of the Spirit World's in-name-only Spirit Detectives! However, since you found me without my intentionally letting you do so, perhaps you're the exceptions to the rule." Jine wiped the side of his mouth, expecting spittle on his fingers but getting blood instead, which surprised him somewhat. Xinhai's little girl could really hit.

Speaking of Natsuki, she crawled right beside a nearby garbage bin as her attacker and two rescuers talked, her petite bosom heaving at the midnight air she could barely breathe. The new arrivals, for some reason, were speaking the same "language" and spitting out the same strange terms as Udo had. For all she knew, they were probably hitmen speaking in code about their jobs and their targets. 'What the hell is going on? Who are they? What's their relation with the Kanji Killer and Xinhai Feng?'

Kurama gave Natsuki brief sidelong glances while still keeping his eyes trained on the weapon-wielding maniac before him. Using his thieving prowess during his days as the Legendary Youko Kurama, he sneaked into the Shinjuku Police Station a couple of days ago to spy on the development of the Miki Kishida murder case, especially after finding out about Akio Oogata's demise while under the watch of one of Shinjuku's finest.

About one and a half to two weeks ago, he'd slipped special ground-elder weeds into the garden and potted plants of the Shinjuku Police Station in order to listen in on updates concerning the case. He'd essentially bugged the entire building while he investigated the Kanji Killer at the same time, which immediately alerted him that the resolution of the case was nearing fruition on that very day.

At any rate, Kurama turned towards Botan and whispered, "Ask Kenshin if this guy is the same Jine Udo from his past." In response, the angel of death grabbed hold of Kurama's sleeve, pushed him back gently, and fell into the standard kendo ready stance with her baseball bat by pure instinct. "I'm guessing that's a yes?"

"I didn't even ask Kenshin; apparently, _Kaoru_ remembers him quite fine." Botan's voice shook at the sight of Udo even though she once upon a time faced down the Lord of the Underworld himself. 'Kaoru, what did this man do to you? I can smell your fear.'

At that moment, a slew of memories flooded inside the ferry-girl's head, including but not limited to flashes of Kenshin and Jine battling as well as a first-person perspective view of her... no, Kaoru... tied up near an abandoned altar of sorts.

"Botan, what's happening to you? Wake up!" a concerned Kurama shook the frozen shinigami awake, the redhead unaware of the issue concerning the Fruit of the Tree of Knowledge and its resulting effects on Botan's psyche after she ate it.

"Is that woman a Reikai Tantei too or a shinigami? I've always been curious what's it like to kill Death." Udo chuckled while licking his blade of the remnants of Natsuki's blood. "Do you even bleed? Will you go to hell? I want to know." With quickness that would've surprised even Hiei or a sufficiently angered Yusuke, a frothing Jine leapt at Botan, slicing through the baseball bat and the intuition-powered counterstrike from Kaoru's century-old muscle memory.

Udo would've sliced Botan in half (and perhaps Kaoru as well) had Kurama not produced a Rose Whip, lassoed it unto the serial killer's blade, and used the murderer's momentum against him with a judo-like, whiplash throw towards the nearby wall.

Instead of smacking face-first into bricks, Jine somersaulted in midair, landed on the wall with his feet, rebounded, used his renewed momentum to slice through the whip's thorny bindings, and swooped right at the redhead with both his blades drawn this time around.

Even though his weapon was cut apart by his opponent, Kurama decided to continue striking with the Rose Whip at the approaching Udo even though the Chojin's minion kept on dicing the plant-based whip apart with the brushstroke swipes of his twin blades, the kanji for "Hei" blinking over and over like a neon light at Roppongi thanks to the flashes of the whirling blades.

Just as Botan stumbled down the ground on her posterior, she realized something important. "Kurama! Remember to watch out for Jine's Shin no Ippo attack like Kenshin discussed earlier!"

Ironically, it was Udo who froze up and stopped dead on his tracks upon hearing Kenshin's name mentioned. "Battousai? Are you talking about the Hitokiri Battousai, you blue-haired wench?" Like a viper, he fidgeted to the side by reflex to avoid one last whiplash from Kurama's Rose Whip before rendering it harmless with a scissor cut from his wakizashi and uchigatana.

"N-No. I'm talking about some other Kenshin. Uesugi Kenshin, actually. We chat with legendary figures from age-old wars from time to time to talk about... stuff," was Botan's lame excuse for an excuse.

Like a deranged lemur, Jine ogled the sword Botan sported with ever-widening irises and barely any presence of the sclera or the white part of the human eye, chortling with disturbingly uniform teeth.

"That's the Demon Sword, isn't it? And you two are part of the detective team that directly answers to Koenma Daio! It's so nice to meet you at last! I'm guessing that idiot Rando failed his mission after all; I myself was too busy to get updated on the latest news on that failure of a Shin Ju. Get Battousai out here so that he can give me the sword duel that I deserve!" His right sword arm flared in remembrance of the night Battousai tore its tendons apart with the Twin Dragon Flash.

"H-He's busy right now. You have to call him back at a later time. Maybe if you give us more information about that Xinhai Feng person you were blabbering about and that girl you almost decapitated right now, then maybe he'd surface just for you!" Botan bluffed; on a somewhat related note, she was never particularly good at playing the western game of poker.

Taking advantage of Udo's sudden shift of focus, Kurama pulled out a blade of grass from his hair and turned it into a sword... the same Tsukeyaki Blade he used against Hiei when they first met... and struck at the former hitokiri's blind spot. However, Jine's own overexcitement proved to be beneficial, as evidenced by his offhand parry and flabbergasting combination attacks against the gobsmacked young adult.

"No. I know how the Youtou Shinnoken works. It reacts differently to every person who wields it. Your possession of it has turned Battousai into a dormant volcano of sorts. Maybe if you handed it to that redheaded boy, then I could perhaps confront a Battousai who's worth fighting against instead of a rurouni that doesn't want to kill!"

Jine sneered while he gradually ripped apart Kurama's shirt into ribbons; judging by Botan's flinch and slow retreat, his deduction hit more or less home. "You're no swordsman. That little girl I just pinned down is more of a swordsman than you are. If you want to beat me, use the Demon Sword."

Botan gripped the Youtou Shinnoken tightly, remembering that she herself insisted on bringing it along in order to help Kurama beat an enemy that Kenshin himself defeated long ago if worse came to worst.

* * *

Natsuki's eyes fluttered and blurred as she bore witness to the spectacle before her. From her estimations, the Kanji Killer outmatched the effeminate man in the swordsmanship department hands down, but the acrobatic flips and artful dodging of the redhead allowed him to stay in the game and keep the fight at a steady stalemate of sorts.

With a grunt and several gasps for air, she focused again on the match while trying to decipher what in the blue hell were these crazy people talking about. Their conversation sounded almost cartoonish in nature... something about using what she guessed was an ancient artifact of doom, with the redhead unwilling to do so while the stock villain goaded him to give in to the dark side or whatnot.

Natsuki nodded to herself with a begrudging pout. Now that she put the conversation in proper context, it all made sense... almost. If she were to think in terms of a fantasy world reminiscent of comic books or cartoons wherein a so-called "Spirit World" existed, then Udo's claim that her own angst was producing "jaki" that made Xinhai stronger to the point of attaining "S-Level" powers all added up.

Judging by how the girl with the crimson leather jacket and skintight pants referred to herself using two names, she clearly suffered from some sort of manic-depressive or schizophrenic issues. Nevertheless, these rogue fugitives from the mental ward probably had a spiritual explanation for that as well.

The fading Natsuki grabbed hold of her hair and nearly tore it from its roots as she desperately tried keeping the nightmares... her real nightmares... at bay. His hands. His breath. His sweaty body. The endless nights that killed her will to live over and over again.

If what Jine told her about Xinhai Feng and jaki were true, then her entire quest for revenge would have been all for naught, because there was no way in hell she'd ever forgive that man regardless of how much more powerful her hatred made him.

"Kurama! Watch out for the Shin no Ippo! You must concentrate hard in order to overcome his kenki from freezing you!" the baseball-wielding woman with the dyed hair reminded, to which Kurama responded, "Don't worry, Botan. I have it under control. Remember Gama."

'Ugh. They lost me again. What are they talking about now?' Natsuki pouted as the temptation to stand up and show Kurama how to dispatch Udo rose, but she stopped short of doing so as soon as she saw Jine's eyes sparkle in tears and blood. Just as the serial murderer swept his twin blades in crisscrossing calligraphic arcs at the stationary Kurama, the red-haired young man whipped his hair back and forth. Like magic, a verdant strand of rope materialized into existence and sliced the swordsman apart limb from bloody limb.

"DAMN YOU! Y-You can still attack even without m-moving your... BLARGH!" The Kanji Killer's bleeding eyes rolled up until only the previously unseen eye whites were visible, his own body parts flying around him in a sticky mass of torn flesh and bodily fluids.

'This is insane! Where'd that rope thing come from? Oh wait... it's the same Rose Whip that the Kanji Killer ripped apart earlier! Come to think of it, how is that guy able to make whips, roses, flower petals, and swords appear out of thin air anyway? Is he a magician or something?'

Natsuki also supposed that she should've been more shocked with the violence and gore happening before her than the supposed bottomless pockets of Kurama's attire. If she were someone else, perhaps that would've been the case. The darkness crept further into her vision, the continuing gush from her stab wound cutting her contemplations short.

In the background, Natsuki heard the blue-haired girl in tight clothing shout something about a Black Martial Arts Tournament and gamma rays or whatever while cheering for Kurama's triumph; in other words, more nonsense. 'I'm blacking out. Well, at least the Kanji Killer is dead. Who is this Kurama person...?'

Her half-delirious thoughts ended after seeing the impossible happen, with Kurama probably possessing the same gaping-mouth, bulging-eyed expression she had when the Kanji Killer stabbed her earlier. 'Oh no. No. This can't be happening! What sort of nightmare am I in? Who is this man? Nothing makes sense any...'

Natsuki's mind went blank after witnessing something that couldn't be explained away by magic tricks and science as she knew them.

* * *

Kurama had already finished Udo off before he could become a real threat; so why were his nerves on edge, then? Maybe his earlier experiences with both the resilient Genbu of the Shisejyu and the determined Gama of the Masho Tsukai Team had taught him never underestimate those higher level demons who'd fallen victim to his Rose Whip.

Two thoughts immediately sprung into Kurama's mind: He needed to get far away from whatever was left of Jine, and he should move in front of Botan and the Youtou Shinnoken in order to shield them from the supposed Kanji Killer in case he was still alive.

Kurama commenced his self-taught breathing and concentration exercises in order to release his body from the binds of the Shin no Ippo; he could've freed himself at any time, truth be told, but tying his Rose Whip unto his hair and using it as a surprise whiplash attack proved to be the best course of action. 'I shouldn't panic. I shouldn't be desperate. Logic is panic's prey.'

He could only draw back so far because of the narrow alleyway, but he had a destination in mind. In case Udo pulled the same stunt Toguro Ani did against Kuwabara during the Dark Martial Arts Tournament... namely, creating a fake duplicate while his real self attacked from behind... he moved beside Botan, made another Rose Whip, and kept a close eye on the fainted teenage girl right beside the garbage bin.

"K-Kurama! What are you doing here?" a fidgeting, moist-eyed Botan exclaimed as she firmly gripped the Demon Sword without a second thought. "D-Do you want to use the Youtou Shinnoken now?"

"N-No." To Kurama's surprise, his voice cracked. "Hopefully, never. I'm only here to protect you and the sword. Stand behind me. Jine will either be after that girl or Kenshin, so I at least have a good idea on what his next move will be."

In an eye blink, while the half-formed, fetus-like abomination that was Udo waddled towards Kurama like a mucus-covered, one-legged zombie, a streak of hot lightning coursed through the redhead's spine and turned his legs into wobbling and buckling strands of spaghetti. The world spun, and as his body lost balance and floated in midair for a fraction of a second, he didn't know where he was or what had happened.

His back flared with the electrifying sting of cold metal. Rivulets of clear and red fluids flowed through him. He choked on his own spit, which left a stinging, congested feeling at the roof of his mouth. In one gasp, his lungs collapsed, the air escaping through his lips with a hiss and his body crumpling to an unsteady crouch as a result. However, before him, the quasi-formed Kanji Killer continued to squirm.

What was going on?

Who hit him? What hit him? Was it a puppet-like doppelganger of Jine, which was what Toguro Ani used against Kuwabara in their fight in the Ankoku Bujutsukai? He fell with a shuddering thud. Whoever it was that attacked him, he'd soon enough know, at any rate.

Afterwards, from behind him... or rather, above him, as he lay on the gritty ground... the visage of Botan with saucer eyes, dilated pupils, and a face-splitting grin greeted him. In her hands was an unsheathed and bloodied Demon Sword, its tip filled with what Kurama presumed was his blood. He felt his face slacken and his body stiffen without the assistance of Udo's One-Sided Heart binding technique.

"Pathetic. You are not my equal. You're nothing but a second-rate, trying-hard Battousai copycat. Now get out of my face and let me fight with the true Battousai!" Botan told him in a dissonant, baritone voice that was at odds with her round, innocent face.

The next thing Kurama knew, he heard a scream assail his ears. In place of the lump of tumor-like protoplasm that appeared to be a parody of Jine stood a shaking and tearful Botan, her skin as white as rice paste.

'But Botan was supposed to be behind me and Udo in front! I don't know what to believe!'

Too many things happened at once, so Kurama's concentration remained jeopardized. However, he could distinctly read Botan lips as she said, "What the hell were you thinking? Why did you turn your back on Jine?"

For a second, there were two Botans sandwiching Kurama, but by his next eye blink, he espied a healthy although somewhat frayed Udo towering over him while the other Botan continued to cry out for him to get away from there.

* * *

Botan screeched her artificial body's lungs out until her throat became raw. She still had barely an idea why Kurama decided to expose his back on the barely formed mound he reduced Jine to, or why he looked so surprised when the Kanji Killer predictably stabbed him. What was he thinking?

From outside Botan's line of sight, a shuffle of movement occurred, and by the time she focused on Udo, he'd vanished into thin air. She kept herself from yelping, backpedaling to the opposite wall in order to avoid any surprise attacks from behind. She could hear herself breathe. She touched her face, surprised at how wet it was. Her sweat felt cold to the touch, and so was her clammy skin. She eventually made sense of the cacophony of noises and broken sentences inside her head.

'Let's think about this logically,' the disembodied Kenshin telepathically relayed after recovering from his own surprise. 'When Rando became part of the Chojin's army, he was able to use powered-up versions of his techniques. The same can be said for the rest of the Shisejyu. It doesn't make sense that Jine became a regenerator after being resurrected. What actually happened was...'

Memories of Kenshin's hesitation to completely immerse himself with his Battousai self replayed themselves in Botan's mind, and they incidentally came from two separate time periods as well: A couple of weeks ago and a hundred years past. The Fruit of the Tree of Knowledge worked its magic, unlocking the exact reason why Kaoru didn't want Battousai to take over Kenshin's soul.

'Hypnotism,' the Kaoru from the back of Botan's mind supplied, which compelled the ferry-girl to buckle her knees in remembrance of Udo's use of the Shin no Ippo on the kendo master to the point of complete asphyxiation. 'It's got to have something to do with hypnotism! Jine hypnotized us into thinking that Kurama beat him. Before, his hypnotism only freezes people, but now, it's strong enough to create illusions! Just trust me on this, Botan! We don't have much time!'

Reminiscences of Battousai exchanging sword strikes against the taller and more bloodthirsty Udo flickered into the shinigami's consciousness. Every last strike left Kenshin less and less human; even though his drive to protect Kaoru pushed him forward, he lacked the morals to give his good intentions meaning and purpose without the burden of hypocrisy.

Kenshin wasn't as corrupted or insane as Jine was when he fought as Battousai, but Botan knew by instinct that if he were to go off the proverbial deep end, something would break inside of him that could never be mended. After her initial puzzlement, the blue-haired lady at last understood why Kaoru didn't want Kenshin to permanently become Battousai.

In any case, as Kaoru warned, Udo's attention turned towards the leather-clad angel of death, specifically the special Reikai artifact she hugged close to her chest. "How does that Demon Sword work? Do you have to rub it until a genie pops out? Or perhaps I should pop you open like a champagne bottle instead?"

'If he's using hypnotism, how can I tell that what's happening is real or not? How can I tell that he isn't using his powers _right now_?'

Botan only had a moment to decide. Blanketed by the Kanji Killer's shadow as he approached her, her hand trembled while it hovered at the tip of the Youtou Shinnoken's handle, her heart throbbing and her head pounding after every heartbeat.

She unsheathed the magical Reikai artifact, her pony-tailed blue hair changing into a darker hue, her lithe form becoming more muscular, her tight clothes transforming into kendo gear, and her pink eyes burning with azure resolve.

"You." Jine hesitated for a moment, recognition apparent in his eyes as Botan used the Demon Sword to turn into Kaoru Kamiya. How could he forget that face? His last hours as a human being were forever burned into his consciousness. "You," he repeated with a snarl, moving away from the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu master's sword arm and feinting a back-pass strike with the intention of luring her into an opening.

A couple of things happened there consecutively, such that none of the involved combatants... Kurama, Kaoru (or Botan), and Udo... were able to predict the outcome of or even discern what happened during the skirmish.

Firstly, Kurama hurled his hair-tying Rose Whip at the Kanji Killer as the latter placed his uchigatana from behind him and switched it between hands, the whip's jagged edges nearly tearing through the uniformed murderer's skin.

Secondly, because she had "front row seats" during the mad warrior's fight against Kenshin, Kaoru was able to anticipate Jine's intentions, diving away from the wakizashi stab and striking at the Kanji Killer's ribs.

Thirdly, Udo had enough presence of mind to use his Shin no Ippo at the transformed Botan before she could strike further. He then kicked the ferry-girl away while throwing his short sword at Kurama from behind him.

It was at that juncture that the very thing that Jine had been aiming for happened. A streak of red lightning appeared before Kurama while the Kanji Killer himself tumbled back. Meanwhile, Botan found herself transformed back to her former self, he hair flying from the blast of wind created by the fiery blur before them.

The rainbow of afterimages eventually faded from everyone's eyesight, revealing the form of the red-haired, purple-eyed, kimono-clad former hitokiri from ages past.

"Kenshin!" Botan and Kurama chorused while Udo's jaw seemingly unhinged itself from its sockets as his cackle reverberated across the Skyscraper District's tight passageway.

Kurama gulped, his emerald eyes dilated and shaking at the awesome sight of Kenshin Himura's fighting prowess.

* * *

The wakizashi shattered like glass upon meeting the supersonic impact of the Demon Sword. Kenshin summoned enough inner strength to "steal" the artifact from Botan's (or Kaoru's) grip and unleash a textbook-perfect battoujutsu strike at the short sword before it could hit Kurama.

In one move, Himura was able to accomplish a variety of objectives: Save Kaoru (and Botan) from certain doom, keep that blade from killing Kurama, and halt the enemy's momentum. Even he, the ever-humble former vagabond, would've patted himself on the back for his deed.

He met eyes with Kurama, hoping that his message of, 'I can't hold on forever; remember that I can only keep this physical form up for an hour at most because I haven't recovered from my fight back in Genkai-dono's abode,' was loud and clear.

"At last! I've been waiting for this moment, Battousai! Every second, every minute, and every hour since I was reborn, I've counted till our inevitable showdown! Even in hell, I waited for you, or at least that part of you that actually mattered to me! It's fate! It's destiny! Our rubber match has been a century or so in the making, and it's about to start NOW!"

Jine hooted and hollered as he got up from his forced lotus position and circled around Kenshin with his unbroken sword drawn. Meanwhile, Kenshin slid his Youtou Shinnoken back into its trusty scabbard in preparation for another sword-drawing strike. "I can honestly say I wasn't at all looking forward to seeing you again, Kurogasa."

"I go by a different name now, but it doesn't matter. You can call me by any of my different names, yet I'd still be me," Udo chattered, licking Kurama's blood off of his blade. "The last time we fought, you chose to be a rurouni. Will you make the same mistake twice?"

The fact that Jine was capable of projecting illusions with his mind kept Kenshin wary of his foe's every muscle twitch and movement. He also remembered Rando using that same skill to escape certain doom from Yusuke's Spirit Gun... something even Yusuke wasn't aware of... but he was uncertain how much more powerful Udo's mirages were when compared to Rando's. 'For all I know, he could've stabbed me by now.'

Kenshin had one other option, though; strike so fast that Jine didn't have enough time to cook up an elaborate dream to lull him into dropping his guard down. And so he did.

Ducking below the behind-the-back, hand-switch strike that injured him many decades' past and jumping back to give himself more space and leverage, Kenshin exploded with an ear-piercing, eyestrain-inducing, and heart-stopping battoujutsu slash right into Udo's exposed limb, hoping against hope that he wasn't being hypnotized into injuring Kurama, Botan, or the mysterious girl Jine attempted to kill just then thanks to the serial killer's new powers.

He got his wish in regards to Udo not using hypnotism to escape his weapon's wrath. Just like with their previous fight, the Kanji Killer backed away from Kenshin in order to avoid the initial strike and deliver his counterstrike. Thanks to the double-hit nature of the Double Dragon Flash, the Demon Sword's guardian followed through the perceived opening with a mighty blow from his scabbard.

Unfortunately for the redhead, the ex-hitokiri _and_ ex-shinsengumi member countered the counter with his own scabbard, which left Kenshin open for the diagonal slashes of the "Hachi" kanji. "Weren't you even _listening_? I've replayed our fateful battle in my mind a million times before. I now know the meaning behind your name 'Battousai', and I've long ago developed a counter for your Sou Ryu Sen."

Nostrils flaring and teeth gritted, Jine invaded Kenshin's personal space and locked gazes with the unflappable spirit guardian, his eyes probing every muscle and pore of his quarry's face. "Is this all you've got?"

Dodging away from the Dragon Hammer Flash, the Kanji Killer released a flurry of precise strikes at Kenshin, only to see them all get deflected by the Dragon Nest Flash and an unnamed baton-whirl technique that served as the red-haired assassin's umbrella of sorts to weather the metallic firestorm of sparks and chipped steel.

Several times, Kenshin broke through Jine's tight offensive. However, the swordsman who wouldn't kill kept flipping his blade, intending to incapacitate his enemy instead of finish him off. 'For Kaoru's sake... For Tomoe's sake...'

* * *

Botan grabbed hold of her chest, feeling a trembling tightness that reached to her extremities. She choked in anticipation and dread. There were a lot of things she wanted to do, but too many events were occurring simultaneously for her to focus on just any one matter.

'The Fruit of Knowledge.'

She then remembered that she still had the Fruit of the Tree of Knowledge along with her; a souvenir from her trip to the World of the Dead. It helped Keiko remember her recently erased memories, and it might or might not have caused Kaoru to enter Botan's mind (unless Kaoru existed more because of the Demon Sword than because of the magic, soothsaying fruit. She was still unsure of that issue).

As chaos reigned supreme in Udo's back-and-forth fight against Kurama and Kenshin, Botan chanced upon the fruit, wondering, 'What if this magic doohickey can help us expose Jine's illusions while they're happening? Maybe that's all we need to do in order to win this battle!'

There were several problems with that idea, though... namely, her. Or rather, the idea of her remembering whatever she did before she purged her memories and past identity made her... 'Well, for starters, speechless.'

From what she'd gathered from the world's folktales and legends, amnesiacs usually yearned for their lost memories. No story she'd ever read, listened to, or watched featured people actively trying to avoid recalling their past lives.

She had few memories of her time in the Elysian Fields, particularly of people from all walks of Buddhist life. Men. Women. Children. Teenagers. Students. Businessmen. Secretaries. Entertainers. Pop stars. Murderers. Monks. Yakuza. Geisha. Prostitutes. Suicide victims. Everyone and anyone who had a load to bear. They came there for the same reason one went to a bar: to forget. That was the whole point of that place, in fact.

Every time she recalled those sob stories, her soul died a little. After all, her happy facade despite her job as the grim reaper was mainly born of the idea of having hope against hope. The tortured spirits who eventually ended up in purgatory had their sins, guilt, past mistakes, regret, and wasted potential as their crosses to bear.

Meeting suicide victims in purgatory was par for the course. She even heard that Aokigahara, Japan's most popular forest for suicides, had a dimensional portal leading straight to purgatory exactly because of its sea of bad karma.

She met a boy who committed suicide after seeing her sister starve to death before his eyes during the Second World War. He went there, burdened by guilt, unable to find his sister's soul because it had immediately passed on for reincarnation without the encumbrance of regret.

She met a man who was part of the vigilante group formed from xenophobic paranoia against Koreans after the Great Kanto Earthquake, which led to his betrayal of his Korean best friend and the latter's family. This was something he never forgave himself for in his later years.

She met a hibakusha as well. Even in her spirit form, the symptoms of radiation sickness remained. Only after she was... purged did the psychosomatic remnants of her lifelong disease go away.

She'd rather not talk about the rape victims. It somewhat disturbed her how detached they were coming in, and how carefree they were going out, as though they were lobotomized of both their suffering and their identities in one fell swoop.

Botan was one of those poor unfortunate souls and she had no intention of opening the can of worms that was her past life; let sleeping dogs lie and all that. Nevertheless, she pondered: Did she suffer the same reluctance when eating the amnesia-inducing lotus blossoms?

* * *

When it came to steel versus steel, Kenshin's new sword proved itself far more durable than the Black Hat's slightly chipped uchigatana. However, when it came to swordsman versus swordsman, the reverse was instead true. Predictably, the Battousai faker had led Jine away from the rest of his prey in a bid of heroic, self-sacrificing bullshit.

This wasn't enough.

"Damn you, you weren't this weak before! Fight me! Are you mocking me? Do you take me for a fool? The Battousai I knew wasn't this much of a fool!"

Udo's swings turned ragged as he searched and probed Kenshin for any sign of the man who soundly defeated him once upon a time, which filled the concrete floor around them with ruts and grooves. Alas, all he found was a shadow of the Battousai's former self, doing nothing more than circle around him like a wasp and block his offensive in order to protect the lives of three other weaklings.

This wasn't the man that defeated him. Why was he being such a major disappointment? Was this truly the strength of the person who conquered three of the Chojin's pawns? Then again, that wasn't the whole story.

"I hate seeing you like this, you fucking bastard. Show me the true limits of your strength," Udo growled, grinding his disturbingly well-proportioned teeth to the point of him feeling bits of dental grit on his tongue. He didn't even need to use his newest skill, the Evil Eye, to finish off this version of Kenshin.

Jine heard something stir from behind him, but he gave it no heed, his body trembling wit a burning fire he himself couldn't comprehend. His normally sallow face acquired a burgundy hue that made him look like a gaunt version of Enma Daio. He pressed on, taking advantage of Kenshin's slowing reflexes and shortened stamina while his mind weighed in on his options.

"Dammit, Battousai! What is wrong with you? Why are you being such a huge letdown? I expected more from you! You were supposed to be the best of us hitokiri! The conqueror of the Shinsengumi! The herald of the new age! Why must you fill this fight with lies?"

Kenshin flinched as his body sputtered from the offensive, his breath turning into gasps, his corporeal body drenched in the ghostly equivalent of perspiration. His recent exertion proved too much for his temporary form to handle.

Jine harrumphed. The fool couldn't even last against him after a mere couple of minutes! Where was the renowned stamina that allowed the effeminate redheaded bitch to survive against a gauntlet of Juppon Gatana, the Okashira of the Oniwabanshu, and the monstrous Makoto Shishio? Was this the same demon-slaying shinigami that nearly finished him off the first time he crawled out of hell in order to take hold of the legendary Demon Sword?

"You don't understand a thing. I'm fighting as my true self. To fight as Battousai would be the lie."

The wild-eyed Udo looked over the gasping Kenshin's shoulder to see the woman who kept him from fighting the true Battousai hold up some sort of circular object in her hand. 'It's her fault. She's serving as the sheath that's keeping the Battousai's sharp blade from surfacing. Once I destroy that sheath, the blade will finally be exposed.'

"If being a hitokiri is the lie and your vagabond self is the truth, then I would rather have the lie. If it's the mask that I should go after, then I will force you to become the mask... a mask that has been welded onto your face and bolted down to your bones! Battousai! WAKE UP! BECOME THE MANSLAYER ONCE MORE!"

Kenshin looked down on himself; like a typical oriental ghost, his feet weren't visible anymore. 'Not yet. I can't fade away just yet. I have to hold on for a little while longer for everyone's sake. I won't give up until every last wisp of my being is gone!'

Jine leapt over the shell of his former conqueror, his sword at the ready as he dive-bombed the girl with two faces, hoping against hope that the anger resulting from her death would at long last awaken the Hitokiri Battousai, or even the elusive Youkiri Battousai.

Meanwhile, something stirred inside the redhead after hearing those words, but unfortunately for Udo, it was the wrong redhead.

* * *

"What is wrong with you? Why are you being such a huge disappointment? I expected more from you! Why must you fill this fight with lies?"

Those were the words that jolted Kurama awake from his shock at seeing two individuals flit around the narrow alleyway like the larger versions of flies or hummingbirds, overcoming the cumbersome limitations of physics, gravity, and their body weight in order to fly.

In the background, Kurama heard Jine declare, "No wonder Shishio Makoto was able to kill you! The Battousai I knew... the one who crippled me and forced me to kill myself in dishonor... wasn't there to fight your final battle! Your death match was instead fought by a vagabond who doesn't want to kill!"

"I don't know how you knew about my fight with Shishio, but Battousai is nothing more than a mask. The desire to protect those around me was the one constant in my life! That's why I embraced the vagabond in me as my true self; he alone understands what pushed me to become a hitokiri in the first place!"

Kurama was different from Kenshin. He wasn't a human pretending to be a youko in order to become stronger. He was a youko pretending to be a human in order to survive. His human self was the mask. His human self was the lie.

Kurama looked up after staring at his trembling hands in time to see Kenshin stumble all over himself to get the Kanji Killer away from the rest of them. The half-youko gulped as he considered his options.

These were two swordsmen with Hiei-like speed. For the longest time (although the fight had so far lasted only a couple of minutes), he felt helpless against the two warriors, to the point of them becoming untouchables in the literal sense and him turning into an inconsequential insect.

At any rate, even though those probing words of Kurogasa weren't meant for his ears, it compelled him enough to wave his whip as the Kanji Killer made a second attempt at Botan's "life", scourging the scoundrel with a barrage of whiplashes.

Emboldened by Kurama's assistance, Kenshin launched a counteroffensive in between the gaps and loops of the continuous Rose Whip strikes, which turned them into a whirling dervish of silver and green with little to no openings for counterattacks. For once, Jine went on the defensive. As this happened, Kurama's mind started to wander again.

Before his allies started affixing "Youko" to his original name "Kurama" once his true form appeared in the semifinals of the Ankoku Bujutsukai, the tall, svelte, and white-haired fox demon was merely known as "Kurama", and for thousands of years since the Heian Period of Japan in the tenth century BC, uttering that name to any demon would elicit the same impact as the names "Alexander the Great", "Genghis Khan", "Napoleon Bonaparte", and "Adolf Hitler" would to any human nowadays; a legendary figure surrounded in myth and legend as well as historical fact.

The deadly accurate Udo avoided further scourging by slashing apart Kurama's second Rose Whip by the gaps between the thorns, so the tide of victory again turned for the by-now translucent Kenshin. The half-demon had already used his "Gama Gambit" against Jine, and his earlier ploy wherein he hit the serial killer with his single-stemmed rose hadn't come to fruition yet for some reason. What should he do now?

Youko Kurama's legacy had been nipped at the bud a good eighteen and a half years back by some entity sent by the Spirit World to take him down, but the true hindrances to the realization of his true potential had haunted him decades earlier: His blind former disciple that managed to come back even more powerful than he ever was, a god of war held back by his heart's own limitations, and a hate-filled and genderless creature whose fury offered it immeasurable strength.

'I don't want to be the youko any longer. I've decided to become human.' Contrary to his expectations, no separate vision of a silver-haired humanoid fox filled his vision. He himself provided the rebuttal to his own remark: 'A wolf in sheep's clothing will always remain a wolf. The same could be said of a fox. You can never become the mask you're wearing, no matter how hard you try.'

Who was he, then?

Kenshin went into the defensive after the Rose Whip was shredded to bits, attempting to take advantage of Udo's overzealous aggressiveness with counterstrikes from the Ryu Kan Sen and the Ryu Sho Sen. Then again, like with his fight with Hajime Saito, Jine proved himself to be tireless and unfazed by his weakening strikes, which was to be expected out of a former Shinsengumi member.

Kurama blearily noted that he was Kurama; nothing more, nothing less. The disembodied voice in his head insisted that this wasn't the case... that his dream where he combined his two selves together was the lie, and that he should stop lying to himself in regards to who he truly was.

However, he soon realized that there was no disembodied voice. There was no separate entity of Youko Kurama living inside him. The voice he heard was his own voice; a growl of a fox attempting to bleat.

Was he Youko Kurama? Or was he Shuichi Minamino? Had his lie become so ingrained in his being that once he noticed his fangs, his claws, and his ears, he panicked and covered himself up with his sheep's clothing even further?

He couldn't trust himself with the sword. His despicable self lurked right at the surface of his borrowed skin, maintaining a happy facade while he still got what he wanted.

'Like Udo, I want to choose the lie as my truth. Like Kenshin, I will use that lie to attain my truth. My unchangeable truth is that I'm Kurama, a demon who has found something more important to him than power and riches, and I'm willing to lie to myself a little longer to keep those treasures.'

The fragments of the two torn Rose Whips on the alleyway floor began growing into little green tendrils in reaction to the swell of youki from Kurama's body just as Jine had Kenshin cornered.

'Nevertheless, I am still Kurama. I cannot deny myself who I am either. I can only howl at my own reflection for so long before recognizing who it really is. A fox will always be a fox. My folly over denying who or what I am can only last so long. But at the very least, my pride as a youko will not let me depend on some Reikai Artifact to win my battles for me.'

The torn plant fibers looped and intertwined themselves the same way that Udo's earlier illusion of him regenerating did with his muscle sinews and cell tissues. Soon enough, a whole rose garden filled with vine-like tendrils swallowed Jine whole before he could finish off the literally fading Kenshin.

* * *

As the fight raged on around her, Botan remembered Kurama's sudden transformation into Youko Kurama back inside Reikai's Hall of Judgment about a week ago. She recalled everything about the silver fox she saw back then. His glee. His anger. His laughter as picked up the hapless Koenma Daio and dug his claws into the toddler god's neck, the Demon Sword glowing with a pulsating golden fire that threatened to tear the entire building apart.

She didn't know what to think at the time. Even until now, she didn't know how to react.

She remembered it because of the active part she played to stop it. Or rather, the active part Kaoru Kamiya played to keep both Kurama and Kenshin from losing themselves to their dark sides.

At the time, it was the Kaoru inside her who stopped the Kenshin inside Kurama from becoming consumed by their combined, god-like powers while the rest of the Boueitai and Koenma himself stood back in awe of what was happening. They really put on a show back then.

Botan held her lips with her fingers as she kept herself from smiling. 'Was it Kurama or Kenshin that I... well, we...?' Botan couldn't help but ask her head's tenant, her cheeks burning pink.

'W-W-We don't have time to think of such things, Botan! Focus!' Kaoru admonished; were she in corporeal form, she would've turned the other cheek, raised her nose up in the air, and walked away in petty indignation.

Kaoru was right, though; there was one important issue that was at the forefront of Botan's mind. Had Udo lacked the power of hypnosis and hallucinations, this mission would've been over with any number of times earlier on by either Kenshin's or Kurama's hands.

Granted, she also wished that Kaoru wasn't so adamant about having the ex-hitokiri fulfill his non-killing vows when the opportunity arose, but there was little she could do about that too. Also, they were supposed to investigate where the Chojin got all of that jaki anyway, so killing Jine outright might've been a bad idea.

At the time being, they had no other choice but to fight and/or survive against Jine and his insistence in... What? Giving his opponents leeway so that his fight would last a little longer? Offering his enemies a fighting chance to finish him off until the very last minute, where he cheats with his hypnotic stare anyway? Nothing that the fence-toothed cuckoo swordsman had said or done made any sense to her anyway.

The fact of the matter was, she, Kurama, and Kenshin (or maybe Kaoru too) needed to find a way to counter that hypnosis nonsense before Udo gained enough common sense in his logic-bereft mind to use that skill of his to slit their throats while daydreaming or something.

She needed to think out of the box, which was fortunately a talent of hers.

* * *

For some reason unfathomable to Jine, the plant-using teenager lashed out at him with extreme prejudice by somehow gathering enough demonic energy to summon a sentient rose bush to tear him apart with shrapnel-sharp flower petals and jagged-edged vines. Why was he so angry? Who was this exasperating, green-eyed, red-haired Reikai lackey anyway?

The entangled Kanji Killer glared at the green-thumbed human with a strange aura of demonic energy. How dare this interloper sabotage his attempts at making Kenshin give him the fight he'd been longing for since more than a century ago! Kurama couldn't even fight man-to-man, instead opting to depend on his plants to do his bidding! Udo hated cowards like that.

Scourged from mere contact with the semi-sentient plant beast, Udo swung his arms freely and whacked off every last fiber and thorn of the rose bush before it sheared his skin off of his bones, the tough coils requiring innumerable strikes before they gave ground. A couple of minutes later, and it looked like early fall within the confines of the Shinjuku alleyway.

Afterwards, as Kurama collapsed to his knees in a trembling, pallid heap while his skin bore the same gray complexion as Jine had, Kurogasa turned his head just in time to see a familiar red blur head towards him.

"Sou Ryu Sen..." Kenshin said as he prepared to draw his sword out once more.

"I told you, that's not going to...!" Jine again prepared to jump back and counter the double-hitting technique with his scabbard when a golden-eyed, lion-haired Battousai struck with his sheath instead of his drawn sword.

"IKAZUCHI!" The force of the sheath-based strike forced Udo to crumple into a ball, his body bursting with a fine mist of sweat and blood. Nonetheless, just as the patriot assassin with amber eyes unsheathed his sword to deliver a decapitating blow, he stopped and opted to lacerate the Kanji Killer apart with a Ryu Sou Sen instead.

In the corner of Jine's eye, he saw the shinigami trollop transform into the raven-haired kendo master once more, shouting out for Kenshin to stop short from delivering the fatal slash. 'It's her. She's the one who possesses the Demon Sword right now. The girl I kidnapped way back when. Did she become a shinigami somehow? It doesn't matter; she's the one standing in the way of my ultimate battle against the hitokiri they call the Strongest, then and now.'

Ignoring the sting from his abdomen and the shakiness of his legs, Udo pursued the retreating Battousai, his quarry's shining eyes returning to their dark violet hue as Jine feinted an assault, stabbed at Kenshin's knees, used the Shin no Ippo as the ex-vagabond took flight once more, and brought him back down to earth with a complete "Hei" combo.

At that point, Kenshin attained complete transparency. Any moment now, and he would burst. Meanwhile, the bloodied and bruised Udo went the opposite direction in order to sever the annoying ferry-girl's influence on the Battousai's willingness to go all out in a fight.

"Don't even think about it. You're already finished," Kurama rasped as he again moved beside the tight-lipped, preoccupied Botan; he kept an eye on the both of them in seeming wariness of past events.

Jine shook his head. 'He never learns.' To Kurama, he demanded, "I'm already through? You flatter yourself too much, boy. Why don't you make yourself useful and grab hold of the Youtou Shinnoken so that the shinigami behind you will finally stop keeping Battousai from achieving his full potential!"

For one reason or the other, the presumably half-demon adolescent's green eyes acquired a luminescent gleam similar to when Kenshin transformed into the Battousai. It would've excited Udo had the teen gotten possession of the Demon Sword, but as it was, it only made him snort and attempt to stab Kurama's eyes out in annoyance.

A moment later, Jine noticed that his entire sword arm was enveloped by a flowering weed of some sort. He tried to tear it out from its roots, but that only cause him to yowl in agony; it felt like he was tearing his very nerves out of his arm.

For the first time, the Kanji Killer realized how frightened his victims felt whenever he used the One-Sided Heart on them. He'd lost all feeling from his limbs, his body paralyzed from the neck down and numbed by the growing parasite inside him. "W-What? How...?" he sputtered.

* * *

**To be Continued...**

_Next: The return of Cat Eyes._

_We're off to find our dreams,_  
**Abdiel**


	27. Chapter 26

**Demon Sword**

A Yuyu Hakusho/Rurouni Kenshin Crossover Fan Fiction by Chester Castañeda

Original Concept by Chad Yang

Should Kurama take hold of the Demon Sword and risk letting his youko self take over?

_Disclaimer: Yuyu Hakusho is the rightful property of Yoshihiro Togashi, Shueisha, Fuji TV, and St. Pierrot. Rurouni Kenshin is the rightful property of Nobuhiro Watsuki, Shueisha, Shonen Jump, Viz, Sony Studios, Fuji TV, Studio Gallup, Studio Deen, and ADV. This disclaimer also covers all the other copyrighted material that are far too many to mention here. Don't sue me please, I'm very poor._

* * *

**Chapter 26: Homework Never Ends (Part 1)**

* * *

With a toss of his hair and despite unsteady feet, Kurama had enough bravado to comment, "I planted that Shimaneki So into you by tossing that seed-tipped rose into your hand when we first met. I was wondering why it took so long for it to take root in your body, but I then figured out that you needed to be softened up a bit more than normal in order for the seed to work. You were too strong at the time for it to be effective. Like I said though, you're already through."

Udo's rubbery face stretched and squashed into a gamut of expressions before he settled with the one he was presumably born with: A look of insanity.

"I see. Clever. I thought you and the vagabond were alike, but it turns out that you're even more cold-blooded than even Battousai hoped to be. I normally hate puppet masters like you, but even I can appreciate how diabolical your plans are. You've got me. I've lost."

Soon, the Deathbringer Weed violently sprouted out of Jine's every last pore and orifice, the wriggling mass growing over the bloody mess that was the Kanji Killer's body like kudzu grass over a statue thanks to it feeding upon his A-Class powers.

A collective sigh of relief was exhaled by all the surviving people save for the unconscious girl. Kurama noticed Botan hide something inside her pocket before she went to the aid of the worn-out and disappearing Kenshin. He himself was about to go tend to the wounds of the forgotten young woman with the cane when something important occurred to him just then.

"Watch out, everyone! Udo is still a threat to us all! He can still use his hypnotism again to...!"

A second later, everything went back the way it was when Kenshin first appeared: A wakizashi crumbling into pieces in front of a bemused Kurama thanks to the ex-hitokiri's battoujutsu, Botan returning back to her normal self after transforming into Kaoru, and a bruised-but-not-covered-head-to-toe-in-weeds Jine stumbling from the strength of the spirit guardian's sudden entrance.

"Oro?" Flabbergasted, Kenshin nearly fell over face-first into the concrete ground, the sudden shift of "reality" tipping him over, his Demon Sword held up high while what was left of Udo's short sword clattered all over the alleyway's pavement.

"Oh crap, not again," Botan murmured under her breath while Kurama seethed, "You won't trick us twice, Kanji Killer! You don't have the power to turn back time. We know that this is just an illusion!"

Jine chuckled. "Is that so? Then tell me this. Which is the illusion and which is real? Was everything that happened after Battousai appeared real or imagined? Is what you're seeing right now real or imagined? You only have a few seconds to decide, I'm afraid."

It was Kurama's turn to be impressed by Jine's gambit. At this point, there was little he or any of the others knew about the Kanji Killer's new powers, and he quite frankly had no idea which reality to believe at that point.

Udo cackled. "Time's up." His veins pulsating as his bloodlust reached its peak, the mad swordsman picked up Officer Hamada's motorcycle, threw it at the nonplussed Kenshin, and sliced through both the vehicle and the man behind it in a fiery, convoluted wreckage of debris, torn ghostly flesh, ectoplasm, plastic, steel, and glass.

Kenshin screamed his voice ragged before it faded into a faint echo.

"Kenshin!" Kurama exclaimed as he slammed his fist on the pavement. He'd been duped again. 'Dammit.'

"KENSHIN!" Botan screamed in a reverberating tone that, to Kurama's ears, sounded like two voices speaking in chorus. Also, the ferry-girl's eyes turned into boat lights of blue and pink, both of which shedding tears for the fallen swordsman.

The fox-demon-turned-human soon had his answer to the Kanji Killer's questions after the sheathed, smoking, and soot-covered Demon Sword clattered to his feet. The instances where Jine and Kenshin dueled were real, while the events Kurama just experienced _before_ the motorcycle was thrown at Kenshin were part of an illusion.

The recuperating spirit guardian had already reached his limit for the day, so now he'd completely run out of energy to manifest himself in human form.

"Kurama is your name, isn't it? Pick that sword up. I want to see how powerful you can get with the Demon Sword in your hands," Udo ordered, the Shimaneki Grass that covered his body earlier now reduced to what appeared to be shriveled bits of corn hair that he shed off like dog fur.

"I don't need to use the Demon Sword to beat you," Kurama declared as he pooled together what was left of his youki resources in order to produce twin Juryo Yozan Ken that he'd deployed previously in his battle against Shinobu Sensui. The Binding Fists of the Demonic Vine clanged mightily against Jine's blade.

"Maybe you're right. But I want to fight you at your strongest, and that sword is designed to bring out the best in you... at least, that's the idea. Anyway, I've changed my mind about you, kiddo. Hell, I'm not even sure you're even a kid. What kind of creature are you?"

Kurama's hairs at the back his neck stood on end upon seeing the leer Udo gave him while he weaved and bobbed away from the oncoming sword strikes. The Kanji Killer was enjoying himself far too much for the redhead's tastes.

"All I know is that you've proven yourself to be quite formidable, and you're a terrifying tactician to boot. If I can't fight Battousai, then I'll settle for the next best thing. If I'm lucky, I may even get to fight the both of you at the same time!"

Two of Kurama's major strategies had already been foiled by Jine. He had many other options available, but he didn't have the demonic energy left to use any of them. His only option now was to wield the Demon Sword and merge with Kenshin's soul.

Should he take hold of the Youtou Shinnoken and once and for all end his charade of pretending to be a real human boy? Was he willing to risk transforming into Youko Kurama the same way Kenshin risked transforming into Battousai whenever worse came to worst?

"You're not as innocent as you look, but you pretend to be so. You're nothing but a snake in the grass when all is said and done," Jine remarked. "You're not as deluded as the Battousai, are you? To you, your humanity is the lie and the darkness within you is the truth. It's written all over your face."

Because he'd already resolved to discard his demon fox self and live out the rest of his human life in peace, Kurama didn't want to risk awakening Youko Kurama through the Demon Sword. He was willing to show hints of his ruthlessness to keep his lie going, but he wasn't prepared to discard his mask altogether.

Did his gratefulness for his mother's love, Koenma's pardons, and the Spirit Detectives' friendship make him feel disgusted over the prospect of murdering the Prince of the Dead and taking over the entirety of the Spirit World (something he would've had no qualms of doing if he were still Youko Kurama)?

He didn't want to lose himself, even though he was merely a pretender living a lie at that point. He didn't want to regress to what he was before he met his human mother and realized fulfillment he never would have imagined as the youko. Power and prestige didn't matter to him any longer.

"A hitokiri will always be a hitokiri. In turn, you can only be who you truly are, whatever you are. There's something hiding inside of you, isn't there? Something sinister," Udo supposed with a chuckle. "It's about time you've stopped lying to yourself and ended your hypocrisy."

Unlike in the poem of Taoist philosopher Zuangzhi that questioned whether a man that dreamed he was a butterfly was actually a butterfly dreaming it was a man, Kurama was perfectly aware that he was a demon fox dreaming he was a human boy.

Most importantly, he didn't want the lie he'd nurtured for over eighteen years to die out and get pushed aside like rubbish once he transformed into his youko self, like an amnesiac whose whole personality changed after regaining all the memories he'd lost.

"I don't particularly approve of your 'beat around the bush' tactics when it comes to combat, but I am impressed with how cold-blooded and calculating you are. You've outsmarted me twice over! The idea of me beating someone as diabolical as you is giving me goose bumps! What are the limits of your cruelty, Kurama?" the Kanji Killer wondered.

Reverting back into the demon fox might not be permanent. It might be something temporary. However, Kurama _knew_ that if he were to become the youko once more, he'd take steps to never let his human mask take over his entire being ever again. His dream had become his reality, and he didn't want to wake up from it.

In time, Kurama might not have a choice on the matter, though.

* * *

'Are you afraid to know who you were in your past life?' Kaoru quietly queried with a hint of a sniffle, waking Botan out of her short slumber. 'That fruit of yours maybe our only hope,' she reminded further.

'Of course I'm afraid. I'm petrified. You don't go to the Purgatorial Sector's Elysian Fields for a holiday vacation; you go there to remove painful memories and your whole identity as punishment for your past sins or as a karmic reward for your entire life's suffering.'

Earlier, Botan had to reassure the Kaoru inside her mind that Kenshin was probably safe from harm thanks to the Demon Sword's enchantment even though that crazy stunt Jine pulled ensured that he wouldn't be popping up any time soon (barring Kurama himself deciding to take possession of the Reikai Artifact).

There were running out of options.

'Are you afraid of me, then?' Kaoru insisted. 'Of who I am? Of what my connection is to you? Of if I'm connected to you at all?'

'No, of course not. You're a swell girl, if a bit hardheaded and heavy-handed when it comes to Kenshin's Battousai problems. What I'm afraid of is...'

Botan gulped as she caressed the twice-bitten, unidentifiable fruit inside her pants' pocket. From what she'd seen, it didn't suffer from the ravages of oxidation and decomposition at all.

'What I'm afraid of is discovering the truth about what I've done in my past life. What I'm afraid of is losing myself. I am Botan. Who I am now depends on _not_ remembering my past.'

The forbidden fruit had the power to unleash memories of one's past life (or lives) that was originally erased by a soul's stay in purgatory.

Like Kurama and Kenshin before her, she dreaded taking a second bite into that infernal fruit because she was afraid of becoming someone else than who she was right now.

She might've been a blank slate after her soul's trip to the Elysian Fields, but by this time, she had her own life to lead and memories to make. Why fix something that wasn't broken?

'For me to risk remembering everything is to risk losing who I am right now for who I was way back when. And I'm fairly sure I won't like what I'll see.'

She felt like her heart was about to explode out of her chest. She felt like biting the fruit was like biting right into her still-beating heart.

After a long period of deliberation, Kaoru sighed in a way that suggested she had a smile on her face (she was currently "Audio Only") and concluded, 'Then don't bite it. There must be another way to beat Udo's hypnotism.'

Botan released a huge sigh, her shoulders slumping down and her heart slowing its palpitations. 'E-Eh? Are you sure? Don't you want to know whether you popped into existence inside my bead because you're me or because of the side effects of Kenshin's magic sword?'

'That last sentence kind of sounded dirty and wrong.' Kaoru cleared her throat. 'Believe me, I know all about skeletons in the closet. You don't need to expose yours. Besides, I'm sure we can come up with something to get out of this predicament.'

Botan furrowed her eyebrows. She needed to think out of the box some more. Like, thinking out of the sphere. Or thinking out of the cylinder. Or thinking creatively yet doing so in a way that made sense at the same time (she was still working on that one).

Afterwards, she steeled herself, realizing what she must do. She had to take a chance. She had to take a leap of faith.

* * *

Kurama's style hadn't changed. He still played the waiting game by using his extreme dodging skills to avoid all of Jine's long-range strikes. However, because Udo never let up on his attack, openings were scant, so the half-youko had to settle for shallow cuts and nicks before using his elbows, forearms, and stiff plant daggers to block and retaliate against his implacable foe.

"More. MORE! I don't believe I'm saying this, but you could even be a match against Battousai himself at this point!" Jine roared under his crimson mask before flicking his tongue and tasting his own sweat and blood that gushed from a nasty cut over both his eyebrows.

For the most part, Kurama had the upper hand in their battle. While Udo had somehow achieved the Younger Toguro's balance of frightening speed and irresistible power, his bull rushes could still be handled with pinpoint plant claw stabs, careful timing, and artful dodging reminiscent of a professional bullfighter.

"I have no idea who you are. I've met you just now. But from those stabs and slices, I can tell that there's more to you than meets the eye," the Kanji Killer hissed, his teeth grit as he willingly exchanged toe-to-toe bombs with the aching half-youko.

However, the counters barely fazed the madman as he walked through strikes in order to land some of his own. Kurama could fire his counterattacks at will, but he had no choice but dart away because of all the speed he was seeing from the unstoppable Udo.

'What more must I do?' Kurama back-flipped away from another blistering combo that would've done damage, only to see the grinning, living corpse before him sway his vein-filled body like a snake and strike with renewed fervor. Why wouldn't he go down? Jine absorbed everything thrown at him like a sponge. Was this another illusion of his as well?

Kurama gasped as he fell for one of Udo's feints. The behind-the-back hand switch slice nearly cut his left hand off. Fortunately, it instead sheared one of the two Binding Demonic Vine Fists he sported.

"Stop placing arbitrary limits unto yourself. You can do a lot better than this. Use that sword and realize your true capabilities! I have no doubt that you're the Demon Sword wielder who'll most likely awaken Himura Battousai's perfect form, the Youkiri Battousai!"

Kurama narrowed his eyes in remembrance of his failure to take control of the sword earlier on before he noticed something different in the Kanji Killer's build for the first time. The ashen warrior had transformed into a mountain of Toguro-like muscle after surviving the assault of the Shimaneki, yet he remained flexible enough to avoid the pinpoint close-range strikes and stabs of the Juryo Yozan Ken.

Working with the knowledge he gained from Kenshin after they temporarily synchronized minds back in the Spirit World, Kurama demanded, "How did you know about the Youtou Shinnoken's powers and the fact that Kenshin is its guardian? Why did you kill the stool pigeon who almost cracked the Shimamura case wide open even though that incident barely had anything do with you at all? Who is that girl you almost killed?"

"Ah. Those questions again. Is that what all this is about?" The Kanji Killer attacked the evasive and nimble Kurama using his tried-and-true Nikaido Heiho combos that actively searched for openings inside his opponent's blocks, keeping the redhead on the permanent defensive.

"I tell you what. You've forced me to use my Evil Eye twice over. In recognition of your efforts, I'll answer your first two questions. In order for me to answer your third question, you'll have to make me deploy my Jagan yet again. I suggest using the Demon Sword this time around," Jine conversed freely amidst the ringing exchange of strikes between steel blade and hardened plant fibers.

"I confronted the Battousai right after he became a shinigami and caretaker of the Demon Sword. I was a fugitive soul straight out of hell, my past memories perfectly intact and my heart brimming with strong feelings of bloodlust and revenge. I've heard rumors about the Demon Sword being originally an artifact from the long-dead Meikai Kingdom that Enma Daio took as part of the spoils of war. I wanted to covet it for myself. It was called the Youtou Shinnoken because it was supposed to increase the powers of _demons_, not used to slay them. I then took Battousai to the brink before he went to a whole other level and broke my spirit with god-like powers beyond fathoming."

As per usual, even with just one plant weapon left, Kurama managed to defend against Udo's swerving, long-range attacks by blocking with his vine-wrapped right elbow, forearm, and biceps, fighting toe-to-toe with the Kanji Killer with every ounce of physical strength left in his human body.

"As for question number two, I was ordered to finish that piece of trash Oogata off because he's ruining a potential resource for jaki with his impending confession and blackmail. The so-called unrelated case you've been probing? It's not as unrelated to myself or the Chojin as you think. Had that spoiled rich kid gotten away with rape and murder, he would've produced tremendous amounts of negative energy for us. That one Shimamura quintuplet is part of our herd of cattle, so to speak."

Jine reacted in kind to Kurama's economic use of aggression by countering the counters with his switch-hit technique and countless Shin no Ippo flashes, which left the both of them at an impasse full of crossed weapons, stuttered attacks, missed swings, and aborted onslaughts. "I have one question left to answer. Go ahead. Force an answer out of me, kid."

Ducking beneath a wild "Ichi" strike, Kurama crouched low, tensed his leg muscles, and delivered a shuddering right uppercut unto Kurogasa's exposed chest before the swordsman could offset the assault with his own slanted "Hachi" slashes. It barely made the taller man flinch despite the copious spray of red it produced.

"You're almost there. Nothing less than using the powers of the Demon Sword can truly stop me, though. I can hardly wait for you to finally wield that sword; the potential power you'll unleash will be through the roof, I bet!"

To Kurama's chagrin, Jine let himself get pushed back by the force of the counter, ricocheted over the wall, and took full advantage of his weapon's wider striking range when compared to the redhead's. The eighteen-year-old boy retreated immediately, but stumbled on his own aching feet, his body covered in rivulets of perspiration as he slipped down on all fours.

A myriad of questions entered Kurama's mind as he fell. What did the Shimamura case have to do with the Chojin's jaki-gathering scheme? How exactly did the Overfiend's lackeys harvest negative energy from their victims? Why did Kenshin have no memory of fighting the Black Hat Assassin again prior to this fight?

"IT'S TIME TO SEE IF YOU'LL SINK OR SWIM, KURAMA!" Jine screeched, dashing onto the faltering half-demon with murderous intent, his Hei-shaped combination attacks forming into a raging river of dancing steel.

In a heartbeat, Kurama telekinetically undid the straps of the Binding Fist of the Demonic Vine, lassoed it unto the Demon Sword's handle, let the tendrils recoil back into his waiting hand, grabbed hold of the weapon, and blocked the very first strike from Jine's sword that came a hairbreadth of ripping him to shreds. He wasn't even aware of whether that split-second decision was a conscious one on his part or not.

The sword remained in its container, but the force of halting Udo's frenzied momentum came at the price of breaking the wooden surface of the scabbard and exposing part of the Youtou Shinnoken's blade. Thusly, the red strands in front of Kurama's eyes flickered and gleamed with a sheen of silver, his fingernails sharpening into claws then retracting back to their original convex shape.

"Yes, YES! Take off your silly mask and show me your true self! This is the power that nearly destroyed my soul many decades past! Come at me with everything you've got, Youkiri Battousai!"

A burning sensation burst forth from within Kurama's chest, searing his veins, electrifying his nerves, and razing his cells. Underneath his feet, the floor buckled and cracked while miscellaneous debris orbited around him until they crumbled into fine grains of dust. Even the two tall buildings flanking them groaned and quivered from the concussive force unleashed by the youko-wielded Demon Sword.

Kurama's body writhed and squirmed in reaction to the ancient artifact's burst of power, magnifying his energy levels at an exponential rate. From there, he chanced upon his own reflection on Jine's shining blade, seeing something that made his boiling blood turn cold at that moment.

It was as his earlier dream (perhaps it was more of a premonition) with Kuronue and the strange mirror had predicted. He saw a... for lack of a better description... composite image of himself amidst a shimmering halo of light.

It had a wild, red mane with hints of silvery strands. Emerald eyes that glittered with an aura of gold. The determined countenance of a man of indeterminate age struggling with the two halves of his whole persona.

The only difference between his dream self and his current reflection was the look of strife and confusion the latter possessed. Knowing what he knew right then, it was no wonder that he'd look so confused.

In the threshold of past and present, that look encapsulated better than words the strife happening within Kurama ever since that infernal sword awoke the monster inside him that he long ago buried. He was a wolf who deluded himself into thinking he was a sheep; a fox who dreamed he was a man dreaming he was a fox.

"I have nothing to fear as long as I'm alive and I still have my Jagan with me! My destined fight with Battousai has now _commenced_!" Udo boasted as the combustible yet analogous forces of demonic youki and destructive jaki... as well as the mad swordsman's copious amounts of kenki... pushed the both of them away from each other, their opening salvo ending with a big bang.

A flashback of Shiori Minamino's face as she beckoned Kurama's younger human self to get down from a cherry tree full of blossoms appeared in the redhead's mind, followed by his newer memories of his time spent with his beloved stepbrother and stepfather.

'I don't want to become Youko Kurama anymore. Even though my human life is a lie and I'm not really Minamino Shuichi, that lie has become my truth.'

Another voice, not his own, intimated, 'I cannot kill again. Not right now. Perhaps not even when I finally confront this Chojin character. I have to keep my promise to my deceased wife to never kill. Even now, I choose not to kill unless absolutely necessary in honor of her memory. Turning into the Youkiri Battousai will undo my non-killing vow in a flash.'

'I'm sorry, Kenshin. It's too late. We have no other options left,' Kurama apologized as he started drawing the Youtou Shinnoken out of its sheath, his rose-red hair with silver highlights whitening to its original metallic sheen, his already tall frame growing even larger than before, and even his clothes turning into the same plant-based robe he wore many centuries' past.

Just then, in mid-cackle, Jine choked on his spit as, from out of the blue, a dainty hand snatched the Demon Sword right out of the Legendary Youko Kurama's unsteady grasp before it was even pulled out in full, the bindings of the Juryo Yozan Ken relieving its grip over the Rekai artifact with little to no resistance whatsoever.

"You...!" came Kurama's mouth-agape remark. "What are you doing here? You're injured! You should get away from here!"

Natsuki, the girl Udo injured, had recovered and stolen the Demon Sword from Kurama.

"What? NO! Dammit, he was so close! He was almost there! You fucking whore!" Kurama heard the bloodied and crazed Kanji Killer rant and rave just short of stomping his feet around and crying for his milk bottle.

"For the first time in a long, _long_ time, I was about to fight and kill someone worthwhile! Fuck the innocents and fuck the Chojin's jaki-harvesting schemes! Get that sword back to Kurama right now, you bitch!"

"No," was the half-recovered Natsuki's reply to Udo's lividness as she effused herself with a different, subtler, and sharper type of energy compared to reiki or youki. Her aura produced ruts, nicks, and slashes all over the alleyway.

"Like I said before, I refuse to be anyone's victim. I understand almost everything now. I know what jaki is and how Xinhai Feng is using my hate against him to fuel his greed and ambition. I know who I am, and what I'm supposed to do."

Awoken from the nightmare of nearly losing the Kurama he'd become after nearly twenty years of living as a human, the out-of-breath half-youko took a long, good look at the new wielder of the Demon Sword for the first time. He then realized that he had seen Natsuki before they even met at this alley.

No, he wasn't talking about the fact that she was the same Natsuki who helped solve the Shimammura rape-slay case earlier that day (that was how they found Udo and her, after all... by eavesdropping within the Shinjuku Police Station Watergate-Scandal-style using "wiretapped" plants).

He instead referred to the fact that she was the third phantom in his dream a week or so before. The bruised and battered girl in his dreams who cried blood and rubies was her!

"You will tell me what your connection to Xinhai Feng is, even if I have to break every bone in your body to do so." For some reason, Natsuki's voice went deeper than before, although it remained feminine in tone. It was not unlike Kenshin's effeminate voice, actually.

Meanwhile, the Demon-Sword-wielding girl holstered inside her pantsuit's belt her trusty metal cane while the invisible force that covered her from head to toe... her own sword-ki, Kurama realized... neutralized both the jaki emanating from Jine and the negative energy originating from her own seething hatred of Feng Xinhai.

Kurama slumped down to his knees while Natsuki moved forward with the Demon Sword on hand, her swordswoman's presence somehow absorbing and negating any and all sources of spiritual energy for some reason. Who exactly was she? More importantly, who was this Feng Xinhai she was so obsessed about?

"Oho. So Xinhai's little girl has decided to go for a rematch. Do you still think you can take me on? I'll be more than happy to cut off one of Xinhai's major jaki resources," Udo hissed after calming himself down from his earlier tantrum.

Like the blue-haired shinigami he met just now and that pony-tailed girl from a century ago whom Kenshin fancied, this walking jaki repository was blocking his path to attaining the perfect, all-or-nothing death match against the Battousai.

"Fine. Do what you want. Just don't miss." For the first time since the Kanji Killer was discovered, Natsuki smiled a roguish grin. Then, as she unsheathed the weapon, her cat-like eyes gleaming with mischievousness that wasn't there before, a not-so-readily-apparent transformation within her body took place.

The blade of the Demon Sword itself metamorphosed into a curved version of the girl's metal cane. It bore no discernable edges from its front or back side; it had become for all intents and purposes a no-edge "blade" with only its rounded tip as its sharpest point.

"You dare use a toy sword against me? Pray now before I chop all of your limbs off, then!" The fight began as predictably as all the other fights Jine ever engaged in; after all, very few people in the three worlds could keep up with his brand of violence.

As per usual, the aggression that the serial killer swordsman brought to the table reduced his opponent to counterattacking and taking advantage of what little openings he left.

Something was amiss, though. Three minutes passed. Then, six minutes. Then nine. Half an hour. Or maybe it merely felt like half an hour.

Unlike Kenshin and Kurama, who had to fight tooth and nail in order to land a hit, this bitch had no such problem.

Moreover, save for the earlier wounds he inflicted upon her, she didn't even have a scratch on her since regaining her second wind.

Udo hooted and hollered after he tore the upper part of the girl's vest. The long rally he had to endure just to reach and slice the elusive swordswoman's clothing was well worth the mental edge he'd gain from the act.

Knowing her past traumatic history with Xinhai, the distraction would probably reduce the modesty-conscious young woman to tears, or at least turn her into an easier target.

No such thing happened, however. Instead, it was Udo who was left to gawk at the flat-chested "girl" he just undressed as he put two and two together.

Natsuki took full advantage of Jine's distraction through a perplexing hybrid attack that was a mix between a thunderous downward strike from the "Jodan-no-Kamae" stance and a twisting "tsuki" thrust using crisscrossed wrists.

"Kousa Dageki!"

Jine wiped the blood dribbling off of his mouth, nostrils, eyes, and ears as he cried out, "You're really a man all along? What the hell is going on this _time_?"

"I believe _reintroductions_ are in order. I am Tsukayama Yutaro, son of a former samurai, the past life of Shinkai Natsuki, and ex-coadjutant master of the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu. Nice to meet you."

Yutaro... who looked essentially like the male version of Natsuki... followed up the Cross Strike with stinging potshots from all angles while ducking and slipping away from Udo's sorry attempts at counterattacking.

* * *

_Earlier on, before Natsuki took the Demon Sword away from Kurama's shaky grasp... _

Natsuki's blurry eyes fluttered open. Right beside her was the blue-haired, bat-wielding woman from earlier. Botan was her name, from what she could recall. She sat up straight and groaned from the exertion after becoming aware of the dyed-haired stranger's warm, glowing(?) hands over her stab wound.

'How did she make her hands do that anyway?' Natsuki asked herself.

"Oh, you're awake. I thought that picket-fence-toothed psycho got you good," Botan greeted, the soothing heat from her hands producing a... not unpleasant sensation on Natsuki's abdomen, not unlike the benefits garnered from a balm of some sort.

'Maybe this Botan person is using glow-in-the-dark herbal medicine that can be applied on wounds like antiseptic solutions? Or maybe I'm just seeing things? Either way, I must be suffering from some sort of concussion. What's going on anyway?'

In the middle of her quiet reflection, Natsuki heard and saw Botan snap her fingers in front of her face. After a murmured, "Huh?" the leather-clad, "punk rocker" female said, "I asked what your name was. Weren't you listening?"

"Oh, excuse me. N-Natsuki. I'm Shinkai Natsuki. You're Botan, right? I heard your name and your boyfriend's name before I passed out," the half-Chinese girl answered warily before she rifled her brain for more information concerning her present predicament. For some reason or another, her rescuer began chattering and jabbering as well.

"B-Boyfriend? N-Now l-look h-here...!"

The last thing Natsuki remembered was seeing the Kanji Killer reform himself into some sort of blob monster after that long-haired pretty boy chopped him into meaty chunks with a razor whip, which she was sure was some sort of hallucination she had due to blood loss. It was far too ridiculous to be true.

Speaking of which, her mind was still reeling from the Kanji Killer's incomprehensible revelations and confessions. Was the reason behind his crimes something that, if she found out, would've left her screaming forever? Or was she required to be as insane as he was in order to understand his ramblings?

More importantly, could it be that Feng Xinhai, the man she was after, was an actual associate or even superior of Jine Udo? Was "jaki" their codeword for some sort of imaginary reward for their continuous killings, just like with the infamous Zodiac Killer and his nonsensical cipher message about using his victims as his slaves in the afterlife?

It was at that instance that she noticed Botan had stopped speaking and was just staring at her with wide, bright pink or red irises. Was she by any chance an albino woman who dyed her hair an even more ridiculous color than normal? Or were those contact lenses? "Why are you staring at me like that, miss? Is there a problem?"

"N-No. Not at all. I just thought you reminded me of someone I... she... someone an associate of mine knew. You look exactly like him." The punk-looking girl was acting quite weird, or at least weirder than usual, Natsuki deemed.

"Anyway, I know you have a lot of questions and nothing makes sense at the moment. I don't have time to explain. You have to help us. Eat this fruit. It should bring you up to speed."

"W-What?" Natsuki felt her eyebrow twitch upwards after espying the fruit Botan offered to her. It was already half-eaten, she had no idea where the strange lady picked it up or why she wanted to eat at a time like this, and she couldn't even tell if it was edible. "Are you serious? Why would you ask me that _right now_? What kind of fruit is that?"

Botan bit her pouted lip, closed her eyes, heaved a heavy sigh, and confessed, "It's... it's a fruit that can reveal hidden truths and lost memories. It helped me realize that the maniac over there has been using hypnotism to make this fight longer than it should be."

"Uh, okay then!" With a trembling smile, Natsuki backed away from the blabbering girl while she patted the ground from behind her for any sign of her metal cane. "I have a better idea. While those two are fighting, how about we make a run for it and call the police using the nearest payphone? How does that sound?"

'Or maybe we could get a paddy wagon for you too, while we're at it,' Natsuki appended to herself as she considered her options. Obviously, the girl before her was traumatized over her lover's current predicament to the point of becoming an incoherent mess just short of an emotional breakdown. It could happen to anyone.

"Now, I realize that I sound like a complete whack job right about now, but if you really want a good explanation on what's going on, you'll have to take a bite out this fruit and... Ah, screw it," Botan relented before shoving the food right into Natsuki's waiting, open mouth.

Before Natsuki knew what had happened, she'd already swallowed and nearly choked on a mouthful of the apple/pear/pomegranate/unnamed pomaceous fruit.

"What's the big idea?" she screamed after recovering from being force fed by Botan, but stopped short from socking the bizarre pony-tailed woman after an epiphany hit her with the impact of two colliding freight trains, her questions from earlier on flying across her throbbing brain like high-velocity pieces of wreckage and shrapnel.

She grabbed hold of her right forearm as she felt nerve-damaged numbness from a phantom wound that wasn't there anymore. Memories of her spirit's past depicted a brawny man covered in shadow, his vacuum slash ripping through her past self's right arm and stripping its flesh to the very bone.

"Okay, I'm guessing you understand the situation now. I need you to help out by alerting us whenever Udo is using his hypnotism powers against Kurama or Kenshin. That's his one main advantage right now. The fruit should open your eyes to the truth," Botan outlined, her eyes' irises darting around as she waited for Natsuki's response.

"I understand perfectly, Kaoru-san. Everything is crystal clear to me. Don't worry. I can do something even better than just telling you when the Kanji Killer's Jagan is activated."

"Oh. Well, if you have a better idea... W-What did you just call me?" came Botan's double-take as Natsuki sprung up to her feet before the ferry-girl realized what had happened.

* * *

While the two combatants were busy with their not-so-idle banter and furious exchanges, Kurama scampered towards the prostrate, seemingly shell-shocked death goddess and asked, "Botan? What's going on? Who is that girl? Why did she turn into a young man after she unsheathed the Youtou Shinnoken?"

The ferry-girl swayed back and forth while staring at nothing in particular. In due course, she surmised, "I couldn't believe it, Kurama. Out of all the people we could've run, it was Yuta-kun's reincarnation whom we met. I mean, Tsukayama Yutaro's reincarnation. She... or rather _he_ was one of Kaoru-chan's top kendo students and a definite match against her other top student, Myojin Yahiko."

"I don't know who those people are," responded Kurama.

Meanwhile, Kaoru quipped the following interjection with a half-amused smirk, "I guess I was the one who died and made him the boss of my own family school if he's now _coadjutant master_," in macabre fashion.

"Oooh, good one, Kaoru-chan!" Botan praised her not-alter-ego.

"Kamiya Kasshin Ryu Offensive Ougi: Hawatari!"

Jine reeled at Yutaro's back-to-back usage of the two-part Kamiya Kasshin Ryu Ougi, with none of his "Ichi", "Hachi", and "Ju" strikes entering the female-to-male-transformed warrior's impregnable defense.

While Kurama was content with playing mind games, placing traps, and somersaulting away from harm and Kenshin was prone to overwhelming opponents with his speed and by exploiting weaknesses, Yutaro took his defensive game to a whole other level.

"You're the kind of opponent I hate the most."

"Buddy, I'm the kind of opponent most people hate. Catch me if you can."

None of Udo's thousands of strikes did significant damage to Xinhai's jaki source. Every time he lunged, Yutaro had enough flexibility in him to avoid the strikes from the waist up.

Even when cornered, Jine couldn't touch the boy thanks to his footwork. Every time the relatively older swordsman lunged, the bi-gender kendo master countered with the knee-buckling Kousa Dageki or the onslaught-neutralizing Kamiya Kasshin Ryu Succession Techniques.

"He's barely nicked or slashed by Jine at all," Kurama observed as he shook his head to seemingly clear it. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. "Jine could still get a few strikes in, but for the most part, this 'Yuta-kun' of yours is fighting the perfect fight."

"That's why he's called a 'Pretty Boy' in our kendo school. Few people could touch him because of his superb defense. Of course, Yahiko never did stop calling him 'Cat Eyes' either," Kaoru couldn't help but reminisce as she took over Botan's body without meaning to.

"Natsuki was doing just as fine against Jine when we got here. Now that she has merged her talent with the experience of her past self, she's virtually untouchable," Kurama ultimately concluded while he took advantage of the reprieve by resting his body in anticipation for the inevitable finale.

Even though Yutaro was as sparse on the offensive output department as Kurama was, he more than made up for it with the accuracy of his shots. He practically landed at will on Jine, such that even though the swordsman made little to no unforced errors, Tsukayama's ability to create attack opportunities while defending at the same time made the fight almost seem unfair.

"Don't even think about using your Jagan. Your illusions won't work against me. I've just recently eaten the Fruit of the Tree of Knowledge, and I know the truth behind your power," Yutaro warned after taking another "Hei" combo apart with his well-timed and superiorly leveraged Kousa Dageki.

"You ate what? What the hell are you talking about?" To Jine's chagrin, even the Shin no Ippo had little to no effect against the elusive, defense-minded Yutaro.

Udo's face and exposed flesh turning into minced meat from the sheer volume of accurate punishment he was taking while few of his strikes landed on the girl-turned-boy.

"Thanks to the forbidden fruit, I also know that you can only use that hypnotic power on others three times a day. You've all but depleted your share of jaki from the Chojin, and you're now running on the fumes of your own self-hypnosis. Your time is almost up. You have no chance of winning against me with your simpleminded and crude sword style."

In fairness to both Kurama and Kenshin, they'd probably softened up Jine enough for Yutaro to dance around him in circles. They also provided the boy with the wounds on Udo's body that he could exploit over and over again with machine-like precision.

Then again, while both Kurama and Kenshin had certain advantages against Udo's style, at least Jine had a fighting chance against them. Stylistically speaking, Yutaro's defense-laden, counterstrike-heavy Kamiya Kasshin Ryu was the worst possible match for the former Black Hat Assassin's uncompromising Nikaido Heiho.

From the corner of Jine's puffy eyes, he felt what he supposed was movement from Kurama and the shinigami reincarnation of Battousai's girlfriend.

They were closing in on him, and the annoying little bug that didn't even have the courtesy of finishing him off exposed the one weakness of the Nikaido Heiho's new ultimate attack, the Jagan. He only had one shot left.

The kid gloves were off, then. However, instead of finding a power boost, Udo opted for a simpler method of winning. "You've impressed me. Nothing I do is working, and all of your shots are landing against me. I am at a loss for words, my dear. Who knew? Who knew that fucking your daddy will make you this strong? I didn't!"

Those were simple words. Ridiculous words. Hurtful words. To Yutaro's credit, he gave them little mind as he plowed through the faltering swordsman's offensive with perfect, compact shots that battered and jarred Jine's brain from within his skull in ways that would've left him permanently brain damaged was he not already an undead zombie living off humanity's sins.

Nonetheless, the words still made Yutaro, or perhaps the Natsuki within him, hesitate. It was just for a fraction of a second... just enough time for a wince or an eye blink to occur... but it was hesitation on his part all the same.

People should never, _ever_ hesitate when fighting against someone like Jine Udo. A quick stab to Yutaro's foot followed by Jine stomping on the same foot kept the boy in place. From there, Kurogasa sliced his victim's chest and threw him aside. Fortunately for the stunned reincarnation of Kaoru's former student, his arteries were missed by a hairbreadth.

"You're hard to pin down, kiddo. Your defense is quite frightening too. But you know what? All it takes is one shot to _end_ you. Goodbye," the real Kanji Killer snarled before raising his sword to finish the job.

"Think fast," Kurama whispered from beside Udo before repeatedly stabbing the serial killer with what was left of his Juryo Yozan Ken. "I guess you were right. I'm not as innocent as Kenshin or as honorable as Kuronue. I do backstab people. In my defense, they usually deserve it."

As Jine wondered who exactly Kuronue was while falling face first to the ground, the whole scene before Kurama changed once more like a jump cut used on video edits.

The half-youko gulped, fully tasting the rusty tang from the tip his tongue to the back of his throat as he stared at two mirror replicas of Yutaro Tsukayama.

"There are two Yutaros...?" Kurama whispered to himself.

"Oh shit. He's using his hypnotism against you, isn't he?"

"Dammit. What now?"

"Don't do anything, Mister Redhead! I have things under control!"

"Yeah, let me handle this, sir. You should be able to tell from my fighting style which one of us is the true Tsukayama Yutaro."

"No, that's not true. Your hypnotism can still make it look like you're using Kamiya Kasshin Ryu even though you're really not!"

"You have a good point. We have no choice. Mister Redhead, you'll have to bring us both down. It's the safest way to apprehend the Kanji Killer."

The twin Yutaros (both of whom sported the same wounds inflicted by Jine) talked among themselves for a few more minutes while Kurama waited for any slipups he could use to his advantage.

So far, the well-hidden Jine didn't say anything that would expose his charade, but for all intents and purposes, he'd just rebutted Kurama's earlier retort with his own roundabout, 'Now it's your turn to think fast.'

Botan would have none of that bullshit... and neither would Kaoru. "Kurama, let's bite this apple-like thingy together! This is the Fruit of the Tree of Knowledge, and it'll be able to reveal to us the whole truth!"

"Don't, Kurama! It's a trap! This is all part of Jine's illusion so that you'd strike down one of your allies because of a convoluted gambit! Let me handle this!"

"Think about this logically, Kurama! Jine only uses the Jagan whenever his life is in danger! He doesn't have the capability to make complex illusions because of the limited number of times he can use his Evil Eye!"

Thusly, Kurama attacked the Yutaro who last spoke. "Nice try. It took Botan all this time to figure out a way to use that fruit without her eating it herself. She should've been more hesitant about eating it than you portrayed! Also, Natsuki was unconscious the first few times you used your hypnotism. The only ones aware of your tendencies when using your powers is me... and you, Jine."

In an instant, the illusory Botan disappeared from view while both Kurama and Yutaro converged on the faker.

Reassured that the true Jine had been exposed, Yutaro drew out his metal cane (so that he'd have the Demon Sword on his right hand and his weapon of choice on his left hand) and duel-wielded these weapons in order to produce a much more devastating attack.

"Mugen Dai no...!" Yutaro chanted.

"Ankoku-Raijin-Ken!" a voice from above hollered. A single arrow formed out of pure golden light pierced through Yutaro's midsection before landing on the ground and bursting into a crackling streak of seizure-inducing, white-hot energy.

Meanwhile, like someone who had been shocked with ten defibrillators, the muscles of Yutaro's borrowed, transformed body tensed up and flung itself up into the air chest first, which cause his reincarnation's heart to temporarily stop beating for a scary ten seconds. A feeling of numbness then washed over the young man's frame before his mind blacked out in shock and exhaustion altogether.

Dueling, repetitive screams of "Y-Yutaro!" and "Yuta-kun!" resonated within the limited space of the alley. Neither Kurama nor Botan paid particular attention to Jine at that point.

The superheated air exploded with even greater force than Kurama's earlier sword clash with Udo, the thunderous sonic boom flinging the nearby garbage bin twenty feet into the air and hurting everyone's eardrums.

A minute later, the Demon Sword clattered on the ground, and a smoking and partially immolated Natsuki was left to collapse in a boneless heap, her irises hidden behind the folds of her flapping eyelids, the whites of her eyes exposed.

A few more lightning projectiles rained down the alleyway, which forced Kurama to grab hold of Natsuki and the Youtou Shinnoken, call out Botan to fly away on her oar, and run out into the open street so as to avoid being overwhelmed by the blitzkrieg of jaki and youki.

Because of all the confusion, Kurama didn't even realize that what he'd been avoiding all this time... brandishing the unsheathed Demon Sword... had finally happened without him even noticing.

* * *

_Atop one of the two buildings in the Skyscraper District that flanked the alleyway where Kurama, Botan, and Natsuki confronted the infamous Kanji Killer... _

The fresh, unmistakable stench of ozone filled the air from where Suzaku stood. Sure enough, climbing at the side of the building while using his chipped and battered sword as his own personal grappling hook or crampon was the man of the hour: Jine Udo. "Suzaku? What the hell are you doing here?"

"Isn't it obvious, human? I saved your life." The blond, bushy-haired man with red-tipped hair antennae replied, his face exhibiting a knowing, tight-lipped smirk, a raised eyebrow, and an implied snort.

"You'd save me? Even after what I did to your... pet bird?" the gasping and panting Jine asked Suzaku before guffawing with a Cheshire Cat grin. "Oh wait, I know the answer to that question. It's because she didn't really matter to you in the least and you want to keep me alive so that I can take her place as your minion of sorts... Isn't that right, demon?"

Instead of replying, Suzaku challenged, "And what about you? I've asked around in regards to how you died in your first life. The Chojin tells me that the circumstances surrounding our deaths are similar, yet different. I too kidnapped the beloved of the man who ultimately won against me. However, your kidnapping of Battousai's woman was done in order to make him angrier and stronger. I have to ask, why would you do something as stupid as that? Why would you goad a lion with a piece of meat when you could use it to distract him and stab him in the back instead?"

Udo spat, "Don't you dare compare yourself to me! The only thing I thirst for is the thrill of the fight. I could've killed Battousai as soon as I laid my eyes on him because of his unwillingness to release his killer instinct. But what would be the point of that? What would I gain from killing someone at their weakest? I'm no coward. You're the one who's deluded, youkai."

Suzaku smirked. "That's the difference between you and me. I am not blinded by my thirst for power. I was born with power, and I know how to best use it. You're nothing more than the afternoon sun's reflection on a pond, pretending to be the sun itself. Even if I told you my plans, you'd still go ahead with your own plans. That's how predictable you are."

The last surviving Shisejyu leader harrumphed once he discovered that Jine had long ago left.

* * *

A little while later, in the early hours of the morning, Botan flew around the cool night sky, searching for her lost companion (and one other stranger who ended up as one of Kaoru and Kenshin's old friends).

Within the always bustling streets of the Skyscraper District, Botan eventually found the people she was looking for huddled underneath the warmth of a radiator located within the roof of a building.

"K-Kurama?" Botan asked the large, white-haired man before her in a quiet voice, her shoulders hunched forward and her chin nearly touching the base of her boat paddle just short of bowing in reverence. "A-Are you... Y-Youko Kurama?"

"I used to just be called Kurama by the people within my guild of thieves," the tall, silvery-haired, narrow-eyed, and supple-mouthed kitsune youkai sniggered. "The 'youko' part of my name was implied."

At his feet, surrounded in a cocoon of actual healing herbs (as opposed to imaginary, rationalized ones) lay a sleeping Natsuki Shinkai. Inside his belt was the _sheathed_ Youtou Shinnoken, which meant that he was powered up enough by the artifact to not need drawing it out to maintain his demonic form.

Not knowing what else to do, Botan touched down on the roof deck of the building and investigated the situation further with more questions. "Does Kurama... I mean, your other self, Minamino Shuichi... Is he aware of... you?"

"There is no Minamino Shuichi. There is only Kurama. The Kurama you talk of is still me, except I'm living within the shell of a human cub."

"I... I see. Why do you act so different around each other, then? Like separate personalities, almost."

"A youko cannot experience the world the same way a human would, and vice-versa, even if he's the same person in either instances. It's like asking a blind man how he feels about color, or teaching a dog the concept of war. These foreign concepts of humanity, although I can describe them, are beyond my concern or understanding."

Botan almost dropped the Demon Sword after the youko threw it back at her.

"I wanted to pull the wool over my other self's eyes and use that Reikai artifact to escape this dreary existence. He wouldn't let me. He knew me too well, and I him. So I'll let him enjoy his time as a human being. The fact of the matter is that a human's lifetime is but a passing moment to a centuries-old kitsune like me. I don't mind waiting. I'll let my 'human' self indulge himself for a little while longer."

It was a good thing that Kenshin managed to pony up enough kenki and reiki to manifest at that instant, because he appeared just in time to grab hold of Botan and keep her from throttling the smug Youko Kurama.

"Botan, no! You're no match against him!"

"Do you think this is some sort of game? Something to distract your boredom? You almost killed Koenma-sama even though he's the one who's responsible for you not landing in Spirit World jail... or worse!"

"Don't blame the scorpion for stinging or the wolf for biting. I am who I am, and my other self will only last as long as Minamino Shuichi lives. Regardless, I'm pretty sure the Spirit World is too enamored with my human self to actual kill him over _my_ actions as a youko. I was presented an opportunity and I took it. There's nothing more to it than that."

Eventually, Botan relaxed enough for Kenshin to let go of her, which prompted the spirit guardian to tell the demon fox, "Thank you for saving Shinkai Natsuki's life. Although you claim that you cannot grasp how your human self thinks, I have a feeling you at least understand his feelings."

"Battousai."

"Yes?"

"You might not be so lucky the next time a demon takes possession of your sword. Don't let your guard down."

And with that, the youko leapt away from the trio with the intention of spending the next few hours scheming about what he'd do fifty or so years later, when he could finally lay Shuichi Minamino to rest.

* * *

From a nearby building's parking lot, a shadowy figure emerged. He'd been following the action the best he could with his binoculars and his Honda Accord Compact. After everything was said and done, he discovered something quite important out of all these momentous events.

'So there are demons out there who can unleash the Youkiri Battousai from the Youtou Shinnoken.' He lit up his Shinsei-brand cigarette, its faint, orange light reflecting upon his collection of setaceous hair bangs. 'There's hope for you yet, Battousai.'

* * *

_Three weeks after the attack at Genkai's temple, in the Spirit World... _

Keiko Yukimura recalled the events leading to her rescue care of Botan.

"The river was as big as the sea. It was so big that I thought the Sanzu no Kawa should instead be called the _Sea_ of Three Crossings. Also, I didn't want to go back to my ancestors, so..."

Keiko grasped her head as an onset of a splitting spiritual headache assaulted her ghostly senses.

"Ayame-san kept changing the subject every time I brought up the middle fork, so I decided that _that's_ where you were located, Koenma-sama. I didn't know what I was thinking, but I did know that I didn't want to die. I didn't want to lose my life, my family, my friends, Yu... Everyone. So I jumped out of the river and grabbed hold of Ayame-san's paddle, begging her to take me to the Hall of Judgment so that I could plead my case."

"You jumped? But no soul could possibly jump up like a dolphin from the powerful currents of the Sanzu no Kawa!" Koenma exclaimed, summarily concluding that Keiko was probably confused because of the lotus blossoms' residual effects.

"...Unless that soul happened to have immense willpower. It has happened before, my lord. It's unusual for humans to have enough willpower to defy the flow of the Sanzu no Kawa, but it's not impossible, especially if their feelings over their unfinished business are particularly strong," Ayame matter-of-factly pointed out, to which Koenma could only slump his shoulders in tacit response.

"For example, Sayaka here had such tremendous spiritual powers that she managed to stay earthbound for quite sometime, blasting Yusuke away with Rei-Gan-worthy energy beams when he tried to help deliver her soul to Reikai!"

"Is that true, Sayaka-chan?" Keiko inquired, unaware of the details behind Yusuke's adventures as a barely dead ghost.

Sayaka nodded, but then giggled. "Because Yusuke-niichan managed to save my soul before it became too corrupt, I didn't need to go to the Purgatorial Sector for long! The Spirit World let me keep my memories intact and, as atonement for my sins, made me go through on-the-job training as a spirit guide. Everything worked out okay in the end!" she cheered.

"So how did you manage to subdue her?" Keiko asked with a raised eyebrow and a smile she couldn't hide. After all, the mere thought of the great Sarayashiki delinquent and Makai demon spawn known as Yusuke Urameshi getting blasted away by the ghost of a little girl was too much for her sides to bear.

"Er, ask me later. We're getting sidetracked." Yusuke pulled at his collar and sweated profusely, recalling how he put Sayaka on his lap and spanked her silly. At the moment, the aforementioned little girl pouted and glared at him. "Please continue, Ayame, er, san."

"There's not much left to say. After Yukimura-san took and steered my flying boat paddle towards the middle fork, she plunged into the waters. The River Styx let her have what she wanted. As punishment for her insubordination, the currents let her go straight into that misty area of the Elysian Fields even though she wasn't supposed to go there earlier on," Ayame revealed, which made Koenma flinch and scowl from behind his overly large pacifier.

"I guess that was when I saw the forest of pink from beyond the hazy fog. My memories from that point on are a little fuzzy, but that may just be because of the lotus blossoms I eventually ate."

Keiko's eyes darted to and fro across the room. She couldn't meet anybody's gaze. She bowed deeply, feeling as though she'd committed a grave sin of sorts.

* * *

**To Be Continued...**

_Next: The quest to awaken Keiko._

_May kailangan pa ba akong sabihin?_**_  
_****Abdiel**


	28. Chapter 27

_Three weeks after the attack at Genkai's temple, in the Spirit World... _

"I'm so sorry for troubling you with my stupidity and impulsiveness. I owe Botan a lot for rescuing me in the middle of purgatory and keeping my memories from getting lost forever."

Before Keiko Yukimura knew it, Yusuke Urameshi's hand had found its way to hers. They held each other's hands tightly.

Koenma Daio wanted to grill Ayame further... particularly regarding the fact that she didn't exactly _help_ Keiko out after the latter ended up in the middle fork... but he ultimately decided against it.

There was nothing stopping the black-clad death god from fetching the lost soul and putting her back in the right destination. In fact, that was part of a ferry-girl's job description, the Sanzu no Kawa's sentient current be damned! Nevertheless, he had more pressing matters to attend to.

"Um," Yusuke abruptly ventured as he resolved to broach the subject regarding Keiko's condition (which he believed was long overdue, and he had an inkling feeling that Koenma was deliberately avoiding the topic all this time) but couldn't, because he still felt awkward asking favors from the toddler who saved his life once upon a time.

Koenma cleared his throat, motioned to Ayame to end her report, and addressed what was on Yusuke's mind because it was painfully obvious anyway.

"I would love to help you, Yusuke. I'd really do. If there's anyone in the mortal realm who deserves a free 'Get my loved one out of the afterlife' pass, it'd be you. Granted, I think you're a bit overdue when it comes to death yourself, but then again, you've accrued enough good karma as a Reikai Tantei to at least save your loved ones from any harsh judgments care of yours truly. Alas..."

"Alas? _Alas_? What do you mean by _alas_?" demanded Yusuke.

Koenma cleared his throat. "_But_ Yukimura-san's case is a particularly hard nut to crack. My hands are a tied this time around in regards to her ultimate fate because of what Seiryu did to her three weeks past."

"You want to help but you couldn't? Then what was the point of all that posturing and lecturing you did earlier?" Yusuke somehow felt like the Spirit World was jerking his chain around like he were some sort of mangy mutt.

If Koenma wanted him to accept that Keiko's death was inevitable, then they shouldn't have bothered with all this... for lack of an acceptable term... bullshit.

They should've instead told him straightaway to leave things the way they were. Then again, he'd of course merely rely on other means, like modern medicine or even alternative remedies, to revive Keiko in the long run. What was the point of giving him a sense of false hope like that? This was bordering on sadistic!

"I'm not yet through, Yusuke. Take it easy," Koenma insisted after seeing the cross look on his former premier spirit detective's face and the worried features of Keiko's ghost.

"As Hinageshi explained earlier on, there are different types of ki. They each have a designated role when it comes to balancing the cosmos and perpetuating the survival of mortal life forms. The healthy flow of reiki and youki indicates good health, but once it's invaded by jaki, it could mean darkness and entropy because that's the role that jaki has to fulfill. However, jaki is usually produced from suffering and death, not the other way around."

Koenma took a deep breath. "It's kind of complicated. Yukimura... Keiko-san was used as a conduit of sorts for jaki, and it has now put her body and soul at odds with each other. This is an unusual case, but it's not unprecedented. The problem of course lies with how you're going to go about restoring Keiko-san back to life."

The Prince of the Dead rubbed his chin. "Actually, this case reminds me a lot of what happened to Yusuke when he first died. There are many parallels. He defied fate, and he was given the chance to come back to life because of his weird circumstances."

Yusuke blinked, and so did Keiko. What was Koenma trying to say?

"In Keiko-san's case, the problem is that jaki, like pure willpower, can also help defy fate. All of the zombies that the Chojin kept creating defied their fates as well through negative energy. The main reason why Keiko-san is in a coma right now is because her will to live and the jaki's fate-defying powers are fighting over her very soul. Ergo, because of this impasse, we have no choice but to eliminate the root of the problem: The fact that her spiritual chemistry has become a magnet for misfortune and bad karma care of her unceasing suffering."

"So what do you want us to do?" Yusuke ventured, his crooked mouth trembling between a hopeful smile and a dejected frown.

"You should amass good deeds the same way you and Botan did when _you_ were the one who had died because of unusual circumstances, Yusuke. This is the best course of action that the Reikai can recommend to her just short of bringing her soul to purgatory and purging every trace of negativity in her system. When fighting bad karma, it's best done using good karma, I believe," came Koenma's ultimate decision regarding the matter.

Yusuke and Keiko stood up, their jaws mere inches above the floor. "Y-You're kidding, right? That's it? Do good deeds? Is that your half-assed way of throwing us under the bus, Koenma?"

"No, no, no. I'm dead serious. Good deeds are what you need... and not just any good deeds. In order to score major karma points, you should probably get reinstated as a spirit detective on a temporary basis and stop any and all of the Chojin's attempts at amassing more jaki to fuel his dark ambition in conquering all three worlds."

Yusuke smirked as he rubbed his nose with his finger. "You sly devil. You've managed to bail us out and help yourself at the same time."

"Does that mean you object to my methods?" Koenma asked with an eyebrow raised.

"No, I didn't mean it like that. Thank you for the opportunity. This really means a lot to me... well, to _us_, but especially to me," Yusuke effusively reassured, bowing down repeatedly at Koenma like a door-to-door salesman who'd just made a sale to a housewife while shaking the influential tot's hand.

"A word of warning. This isn't like the test I gave you to get your life back. This is more of an experiment than anything else. I have no guarantees that this will work, save for the fact that you'll get a small measure of revenge against the bastard who helped do this to Keiko-san in the first place... the Chojin... by interfering right at the heart of his operations. Also, you can only _assist_ Keiko in doing her good deeds. She herself must accomplish the missions in order for the act to count as her karmic retribution of sorts."

Yusuke shrunk back a bit at hearing Koenma's stipulations, but he kept a brave front for Keiko's sake nonetheless. It was disheartening to hear that success wasn't a guarantee in his bid to get his girlfriend back to normal, but he was still relieved to hear that there was a way to help her after all.

In the back of his mind, Yusuke remembered Botan's insightful revelation regarding the true nature of spirit energy: "The strength of the spirit has nothing to do with physical strength but with feelings and emotions. What's within your heart becomes the source from which all power originates."

"Um, I'd hate to be a bother, but what good deeds are we supposed to do? That part of this deal is still kind of... vague to me," Keiko admitted.

"Sayaka, our newest shinigami-in-training, also needs more work experience to meet her own goals. She'll be the one who'll assign your mission objectives from this point on. In fact, you can start with an assignment right this instant!"

Koenma signaled Sayaka to stand, then turned to face Keiko.

"If anything, by accomplishing this goal, you'll be able to keep the jaki inside of you from completely consuming your soul. If you have any further questions, you may direct them to Sayaka. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to meet with Himura-san and Botan now. Can you please fetch them for me?"

* * *

**Demon Sword**

A Yuyu Hakusho/Rurouni Kenshin Crossover Fan Fiction by Chester Castañeda

Original Concept by Chad Yang

Keiko has a lot of homework to catch up to. No, I have no idea why I put that in this author aside either.

_Disclaimer: Yuyu Hakusho is the rightful property of Yoshihiro Togashi, Shueisha, Fuji TV, and St. Pierrot. Rurouni Kenshin is the rightful property of Nobuhiro Watsuki, Shueisha, Shonen Jump, Viz, Sony Studios, Fuji TV, Studio Gallup, Studio Deen, and ADV. This disclaimer also covers all the other copyrighted material that are far too many to mention here. Don't sue me please, I'm very poor._

* * *

**Chapter 27: Homework Never Ends (Part 2)**

* * *

Three weeks after the momentous fight at Genkai's temple, in the upper stratosphere of the Human World...

Keiko's ghost screamed while Yusuke's ghost laughed at her. Feeling sorry for her cluelessness, the former spirit detective grabbed hold of her torso and halted her descent to the Ningenkai in midair.

"It's okay, Keiko. We're ghosts right now. We won't die from this or falling from any height. We can even go to space if you want, but it's a long way back to Earth if we do that," Yusuke explained, but not before suffering from the brunt of Keiko's rage at not being told of all these things _before_ they made the jump to the Human World.

'Huh. Ghosts can hurt each other. I should remember that,' Keiko noted to herself as she admired her handiwork. The lumpy-faced Yusuke, on the other hand, considered the virtues of making Keiko freefall again as revenge for his girlfriend's overreaction.

"Oh, sorry! My bad! I should've warned you about how ghosts residing in the Human World travel. In contrast to the Spirit World, where a different kind of gravity keeps ghosts or their will-o'-the-wisp forms on the ground, a ghost on the world of the living can basically float anywhere it wants because it's incorporeal," Sayaka informed with a smile.

"Hey, wait. Before we, er, 'jumped' back to the Human World, you said something about meeting Yusuke before. Are you talking about Puu's egg that Yusuke sacrificed in order to save me from being burned alive? You know, when he first died from a car accident and he was trying to revive himself? Did you meet him them?" Keiko asked.

Both Sayaka and Yusuke looked at Keiko like they saw a ghost... not Keiko's ghost, of course, and knowing those two, the probably wouldn't bat an eye if they did see a ghost... Y'know what? Never mind. To reiterate, both of them had gaping maws and wide eyes in reaction to the Yukimura girl's statement.

"Who told you about that?" queried Yusuke as their descent slowed and they were within skyscraper distance of Tokyo. The half-mazoku held back his feeling of nostalgia at again being a ghost... granted, he was merely an astral projection this time around, but his wistfulness remained nonetheless. "I don't remember telling you about that adventure of mine!"

Keiko shrugged. "Botan told me everything about it during the year and a half you were gone." Her bangs obscuring her eyes as she looked away, she added, "You were supposed to take care of Puu's egg as some sort of Spirit World test, right? And yet you still threw it towards the fire to save my life..."

Yusuke cleared his throat and pulled at his collar, even though the clothes his astral projection wore was merely for show. Meanwhile, Sayaka's shoulders drooped as she breathed out a sigh while smiling.

"Oh, good! I'm glad Botan-sempai cleared everything up! Then I won't have to tell you about the time Yusuke-niichan spanked my bottom for almost turning a boy I liked into a ghost!"

Keiko did a double take, her hair tossing against something other than the wind as she turned her head towards the ferry-girl-in-training and inquired, "Pardon me? Yusuke spanked you?"

While catching Yusuke by the ear as he struggled to get away, one other thing occurred to the ghostly Yukimura. "Hey, wait a minute! You were a ghost? I thought you met Yusuke when you were already an agent of the Spirit World! You were the one checking whether or not Yusuke was fit to be resurrected! That's what Botan told me!"

"Now hold on a minute. Maybe Botan pulled the same shit she did when she 'told' you about my role as a Spirit World Detective, which gave you the impression that I was some sort of real-world private dick!" blurted Yusuke after escaping Keiko's ear grip, only to shrink back at the withering stare she gave him while covering Sayaka's ears

"Watch your language! There are children around!" Keiko turned Sayaka towards her. "It's possible that Botan may have fudged the details a bit for my sake. As far as I know, Yusuke was supposed to take care of Puu's egg, then Reikai had a change of heart and allowed him to live again by..."

Keiko remembered the life-giving kiss she had to give to Yusuke in order to ensure that he was resurrected (it was another one of the Reikai's stupid requirements), which made her cheeks literally glow red... the closest a ghost could ever get to a physical blush.

What made her go through such an embarrassing ritual anyway? Well, Botan told her it involved something about the human soul's wave cycles...

"I don't know much about Yusuke-niichan's situation myself, but I was an earthbound spirit before I even met him. I don't remember much about my childhood except sadness, I'm afraid to say." Sayaka scratched her cheek, her eyes downtrodden.

Even at that moment, long after she had died, the shinigami trainee had a hard time admitting that she spent most of her childhood inside a hospital, and she was only able to spend time with her family during the last six months of her life because of her sickness.

"After I passed away, I stayed at my parents' house till they abandoned it because I was haunting the place. Then one day, while looking out from the window of my old room, I saw this boy named Shota. I wanted to be friends with him, but..."

Yusuke chimed in, "Sayaka was possessed by her desire to make friends at that point, which eventually made her go a little nuts. She wasn't an evil spirit, but her broken hopes took a life of their own and made her almost take Shota to Heaven with her without a shinigami like Botan to direct them to the right path. They would've ended up stuck in limbo without a spirit guide's help."

Sayaka blinked back the ectoplasm tears forming around the edges of her moist, almond-shaped eyes. "I didn't mean to almost kill Shota. I only wanted someone to go with me to Heaven so that we could play together forever. Yusuke-niichan saved me from turning into an evil and lost spirit because of all the loneliness that corrupted my soul... or at least, that's what Botan told me."

Something occurred to Yusuke. "Come to think of it, are we sure we should trust Botan's words? I mean, she's told Keiko half-truths about what really happened to me twice in a row now!"

Keiko closed her eyes, turned her head to the side, and pushed her outstretched hands and open palms towards her spiritual companions. "Wait... This is a little hard to swallow, you guys. Um, so you _aren't_ a Spirit World Inspector who wanted to see whether Yusuke was worthy of resurrection or not, Sayaka-chan?"

"Nope. At least, not during the time I first met Yusuke-niichan. Nowadays, I guess you can call me a Spirit World Inspector," Sayaka informed with a big, open-mouthed smile on her face, intentionally neglecting to mention her crush on Yusuke and the fact that she once checked out whether or not Keiko was "worthy" of her "Big Bro".

"Okay. Fair enough. And who is this Shota person?" Keiko further inquired.

"Oh boy, here we go..." Yusuke muttered as he rolled his eyes and crossed his arms.

"What?" Keiko asked as she raised her eyebrow and curled her upper lip.

"I guess Botan really did breeze through the things I went through in order to come back to life, huh?" Yusuke exhaled. "It's a long story, Keiko. The problem with telling you who Shota is involves the fact that it'll lead from one story to another, and before we know it, we'd have wasted the whole day chatting about my past exploits."

"Humor me. I have all the time in the world," Keiko insisted, her hands on her hips as she smirked.

"I don't think it'll hurt for Big Bro to talk about how he was revived, especially in light of Keiko's mission and how she'll go about removing Seiryu's bad karma off of her soul," Sayaka supposed as she took out her signature clipboard that bore her assignments for the day.

With an exasperated grunt, Yusuke started divulging the story behind his first brush with death and his subsequent adventures in the afterlife as they followed Sayaka's lead to Kami-sama-knew-where.

Yusuke first started with his unforeseen car accident while saving a young boy, his subsequent funeral, his meeting with Koenma wherein he was given a mysterious egg, his visit to Keiko in her dream to tell her he was coming back to life, and his possession of Kuwabara's body in order to prove to her that he was really going to be resurrected, which his girlfriend confirmed as things Botan already told her or stuff she still remembered.

He then told stories that Keiko wasn't familiar with, like the time when he first met Shota as the owner of a dog named Jiro that recently died and couldn't leave the Human World because of his lingering connections to his codependent master. The half-demon helped Shota let go of Jiro and allow him to go to Heaven by putting on a strange costume and pretending to be a bad guy who was out to bring the dog to Hell.

Then there was the time when, during Christmas, Yusuke found an earthbound ghost who couldn't leave a certain bench because she promised her date that she'd wait for him there during last Christmas, when she died.

She found out later that the boy she was dating, Kenji, was a jerk who dated her to kill time. Yusuke went out with the heartbroken girl until she was left with no regrets and went straight to Reikai. He then haunted Kenji as revenge for his insensitivity.

"I wonder if she ever found a new boyfriend in the Spirit World. She promised to contact me as soon as she got a new boyfriend," Yusuke wondered aloud, oblivious of the shushing sounds and gestures Sayaka gave him.

"Oh, and did you enjoy your date with the ghost girl?" came Keiko's passive-aggressive question that made Yusuke realize _why_ Botan didn't tell Keiko everything about her exploits.

Sighing, he grabbed hold of the hand of his comatose girlfriend's soul and reenacted his date with the nameless earthbound spirit by watching a movie without tickets, riding a roller coaster, and riding atop a car without a care in the world because they were ghosts.

Although there were still remnants of Keiko's jealousy after her makeup date with Yusuke, she "defrosted" enough to allow the newly reinstated spirit detective to continue telling his stories about gaining positive karma to help revive himself.

Yusuke and Botan once assisted a tanuki in repaying its debts to a cantankerous, dying, and lonely old man who'd lost his entire family. In gratitude of the time both granddad and grandson released him from a foothold trap, the shape-shifting raccoon dog turned into the old man's dead grandchild, Shinji, before the elderly coot kicked the bucket.

"A tanuki? Are you serious? You're really pulling my leg this time," said Keiko, despite the fact that she'd seen Yusuke battle demons. "These stories all sound like the Twelve Labors of Hercules!"

"Hercules? Who's that? Isn't he from a television show or something?" asked the out-of-school youth who graduated from Sarayashiki Junior High mostly through the virtue of his mother's intimidating yakuza connections (i.e., she forced the principal to have Yusuke graduate _or else_ while flanked by her yakuza bodyguards).

"This is part of the reason why I let Yusuke-niichan tell you about the things he went through in order to live again. You may have to go through the same 'labors' or 'tests' in order to balance out your karma and escape Seiryu's curse," Sayaka informed Keiko.

'I see. I didn't know it at the time, but Yusuke went through a lot in order to come back to us. Sure, he has demon blood in him, but during the first time he died, it hadn't even 'activated' yet. He earned his right to live, and so should I,' Keiko realized.

Yusuke skipped through the time when Kuwabara tried to keep his friend, Okubo, from getting expelled after their flint-toothed teacher named Mister Akashi threatened to cancel the school's special permission for Okubo to work part-time, because Keiko already knew that story. He instead told her about the time he was revived for one day.

"I... kind of already know about that story." Keiko fidgeted a bit. "I only pretended to not know about it at the time because it seemed important for you to not contact me. I overheard your conversation with Kuwabara while I faked being unconscious."

"Oh. You sneaky little...!" Yusuke trailed off, realizing that if Keiko _had_ acknowledged knowing him at the time, then he would've broken Spirit World rules and could've ended up delaying his complete first resurrection indefinitely. "But that Moto Daisuke fellow who kidnapped you back then was a goddamn freak, wasn't he? His whole face was like fifteen inches long or something!"

"Oh yeah, I remember that guy! Yeah, he was a total weirdo! He has the same proportions as a baby!" Keiko giggled along with Yusuke in spite of herself as they both remembered the person who made it difficult for Yusuke to keep out of contact of Keiko.

"...I never had a chance to thank you for saving me from him," Keiko murmured, and Yusuke pretended to not hear her words while grinning from ear-to-ear.

From what she could recall, one of the goons of Daisuke Moto bumped into her friends. Then, Kuwabara's friends happened to pass them by, so they beat up the hooligans who were bothering them.

However, Kazuma's entire gang proved no match for Daisuke himself when he joined into the battle, so he beat them to a fine pulp. Keiko being Keiko, she slapped the bigheaded man for harming her friends' rescuers.

As such, Daisuke proceeded to force the impetuous girl to come with him to their hideout in Hangoroshi Bar or else he'd take her friends with him instead.

Yusuke overheard from Kuwabara and his beat-up friends what'd happened, so he decided to go to a novelty store and buy a new set of disguises (a signature trademark of his earlier rescues before he learned how to use the Rei-Gan) and save Keiko from her kidnappers.

After the Daisuke Moto incident, Yusuke and Botan met the lonely Sayaka and discovered her bid to steal away Shota's soul.

Sayaka herself then filled in one detail Yusuke neglected to mention, which was her kicking his butt by blasting him with spiritual power reminiscent of the Rei-Gan that rooted from her own hatred and loneliness.

Keiko remembered Ayame mentioning that earlier in their talk with Koenma. All the same, she needled her boyfriend over the fact that a little girl's ghost was the first being who defeated him in combat.

"Oh my gosh, so you're serious? All that loneliness inside Sayaka-chan was enough to defeat a tough guy like you?"

Keiko's laughter faded after she remembered that it was Seiryu's hate-filled determination to one day avenge his own death in the hands of Hiei that led him to curse her and use her suffering to energize his Fu no Senrei.

"Hey, you know what? That's also an important thing to remember! When it comes to mastering spiritual energy, it doesn't matter how big or muscular you are," Sayaka noted while scribbling something over her pad of paper that was fastened to her clipboard.

"Yeah. I remember Genkai telling me something about that. Oh wait, no, it was Botan who told me that the strength of the spirit doesn't have anything to do with physical strength, it's instead powered by feelings. I guess having 'feelings' is also the reason why earthbound spirits exist, huh?" Yusuke supposed.

Urameshi continued recalling his past exploits as a ghost, like the time when he rescued a girl from a demonic curse that her best friend brought upon her because of the needless academic pressure their selfish teachers were hoisting upon them, to the point of pitting them against each other.

Then there was the time Yusuke was forced to throw Puu's egg into a fire to save Keiko from being burned to death inside the firetrap that was the old Urameshi residence, but of course his girlfriend already knew about that.

The former full-time spirit detective had other adventures from there, like the time he aided a bullied weakling named Matsuo Suekichi into learning the virtue of courage and guts when it came to boxing.

What happened next was his actual revival with the help of Keiko's kiss, so he basically brought his girlfriend up-to-speed on how he became worthy enough to acquire his life back.

"...So that's everything you need to know about my resurrection. What do you think?" Yusuke asked Keiko, his hands in his pockets, his eyes wide and expectant.

Keiko could only nod as she and her ghostly companions flew past her house. A few blocks earlier, she sensed the presence of several other earthbound spirits who were stuck in the world of the living, unable to move on to the afterlife because of their regrets and lamentations.

Was she destined to end up like those lost souls? Should she give up this quest to wake herself up and accept her mortality in order to avoid becoming one of many ghosts who couldn't pass on?

'I should think positive. I can accept whatever fate will befall me, but not without a fight. I owe myself and my loved ones that much. Yusuke never once thought about giving up while there was still a chance for him to come back to life, and neither should I. I won't let this demonic curse bring me down.'

Keiko turned towards the ten-year-old shinigami-in-training and Spirit World Inspector, inquiring, "Am I supposed to do the same things Yusuke did in order for me to revive myself? Y'know, to 'balance out my karma', so to speak?"

Sayaka stared straight into the astral projection of the comatose Yukimura and answered, "Yes and no. From what I can understand from Koenma Daio's instructions, yours is a similar case to Big Bro's death in terms of how the both of you defied fate. However, a great deal of positive karmic energy must be collected in order to lift the curse that Seiryu placed on your body."

Keiko blinked. "So that's the reason why I'm like the Schrodinger's Cat thought experiment? I'm in an uncertain state where I'm both alive and dead?"

For one reason or another, Yusuke imagined Schrodinger's Cat as a feline with a toothbrush mustache popularized by the infamous Adolf Hitler himself.

"I... don't know who that is." Sayaka brushed off the huge dollop of sweat... or rather, liquid ectoplasm... that formed at the back of her pretty little head. She then coughed primly.

"But yeah, I guess that until we can discover how to lift your curse for good, we'll just have to depend on the tried-and-true tactic of doing good deeds and gathering up as much positive karma as possible while hoping for the best."

"We can only 'hope for the best', huh?" The girls backed away as Yusuke cracked his soul's equivalent of human knuckles. "If I'd been there, Seiryu would've been on the receiving end of my fists or Rei-Gan. Stupid Rando and his You-Gan. Stupid Genbu and his Genbu no Hoko. Stupid Demon Sword's effects on me and Kenshin. Stupid me," he muttered to himself.

Keiko exhaled and put up a brave front. "There's no use crying over spilled milk. What's done is done. Hoping for the best isn't so bad. Let's move on."

As if on cue, the gigantic spirit beast that was connected to Yusuke's soul named Puu arrived and greeted the three ghosts, the sun setting behind him, its rays shooting shafts of light over his gigantic wings.

"We're here," cheered Sayaka at the beaked monstrosity. They'd finally arrived at Genkai's abode. "Before you say anything, don't worry about your body, Big Bro. Genkai-baasan had Puu pick it up."

True to the little girl's words, the passed out, drooling body of a teenaged boy with a greaser hairdo was saddled on the back of the gargantuan bird creature.

Meanwhile, Keiko remembered that Botan herself had to depend on an artificial body in order to exist in the Human World from time to time. She then idly wondered if she could get her own artificial body from Reikai if worse came to worst before floating from behind Puu along with Yusuke and Sayaka.

* * *

_Back at Genkai's temple after the momentous fight against Rando and the Shisejyu three weeks ago, in the evening... _

"The Kugai did _what_ to me now?" Yusuke cried out, which prompted Genkai to wallop him upside the head for being so loud. In the background, a new gate was being erected with the help of human and demon contractors.

"Don't make a scene! I don't want you to disturb the workers while they're rebuilding my home that _you_ help wreck!"

The Kugai or World of Suffering was one of the techniques Rando used against Yusuke in order to incapacitate the teenaged half-demon. It was a move that made the recipient emphatic to the suffering of those around him, hence its name.

"They won't hear me anyway because of all the noise they're making from rebuilding your shrine, GRANNY!"

Unbeknownst to Yusuke, his body then and there exploded with a bright flash of energy that made Genkai stumble while the teacup she was holding shattered into pieces. "B-Baasan! I'm sorry! What is this? I don't even..."

Just beside Yusuke, the ghost of Keiko and the similarly intangible child spirit of the shinigami-to-be known as Sayaka were so surprised by Yusuke's display of power that their spiritual bodies were nearly repelled out of the rickety remnants of Genkai's home.

"Do you understand _now_, Yusuke? Your power is in a volatile state, like a power cable that's been stripped of insulation or an octopus connection without a surge protector. You should be more careful about unleashing it up until the time you learn how to control the Kugai that Rando inflicted upon you."

"But I feel perfectly fine!" objected Yusuke. "I'm in total control of my powers, thank you very much!"

"For now. But what will happen when you're forced to exert your full potential? You were lucky you only had to face Rando, especially now that you're leagues more powerful than him. But what if you were to battle against one of the Chojin's Class-S minions? Or the Chojin himself?"

"So Keiko and I are both cursed, huh? That goddamn Overfiend is a real pain in the ass." Yusuke smacked his fist into his palm, which sent another miniature shockwave across the house.

Even though she was faced with an upper-echelon Class-S warrior that could squash her like a bug if he saw fit, the lower Class-B-to-A Genkai was infuriated enough to whack the rambunctious Urameshi's head for a second time to keep him in line.

"I don't think the Kugai is actually a curse. I doubt gathering good karma will do anything to curb the effects of the World of Suffering on your body because it's something that was developed by monks to appreciate the destructiveness of worldly attachment. It wasn't even an offensive technique in the first place," said Genkai as she took a dustpan, a rag, and a small broom to fix yet another one of her former student's messes.

As she cleaned up, she mused, 'For good or for ill, Rando took my advice to him to heart. Instead of merely mimicking techniques, he has now learned the intricacies behind them. The source of Yusuke's power is through his extreme emotions, so using the Kugai on him is akin to adding gasoline to a blaze or making the immune system overreact to a foreign body. It's too much of a good thing.'

"What must I do then, Master?" Yusuke begged Genkai. This was one of the handful of times he ever acknowledged her authority. "I can't help out Keiko's coma while I'm like this. It'd be like the blind leading the blind. What should I do in order to go back to normal?"

'Huh. _Normal_. You're anything but normal, you little brat.'

Genkai took a look at Keiko's ghost and gave her a wan smile. She looked up and still saw the Star of Death right beside the Big Dipper... a star that only appeared to those who were at death's door.

She'd been seeing that star ever since she was revived by the Spirit World to assist Yusuke in subduing Sensui and his gang. She wasn't supposed to exist among the living anymore, the heavens seemed to be saying.

Genkai turned towards Yusuke and bluntly replied, "Remove the Spirit Light Wave Gem. Because your power is based on emotions, having a power amplifier like that in your body and soul will only spell disaster in the long run."

The old woman was of course talking about her concentrated ball of might that she passed on to Yusuke in order for him to gain the power to defeat the Younger Toguro.

"Y-You can't do that! C-Can you? I mean, Yusuke worked so hard in order to earn the right to use that power!" Keiko protested before the listless Yusuke could even react to the announcement, remembering the sorry state of her boyfriend's health after he'd just learned to control the power of the Rei-Kou-Gyoko.

He had all sorts of bruises, contusions, bloodstains, and wounds on him as he slept on her lap, exhausted beyond belief...

Hiding her ghostly blush by turning away at the last minute, Keiko further queried, "What will happen to his power level once you remove the gem?"

Genkai drew out a long sigh, her entire body seemingly deflating as she braced herself. Meanwhile, Sayaka furiously scribbled notes on her clipboard as though she were transcribing the entire conversation.

"Once upon a time, my Rei-Kou-Gyoko served as a way to amplify Yusuke's base power level, not unlike the Demon Sword's original purpose before... certain events happened." She was not yet prepared to divulge the true reason why Kenshin was sealed in the Legendary Shrine of the Sword.

The Rei-Hadou-Ken expert continued. "Anyway, I was sort of concerned when Yusuke came back to life for a second time through his demonic atavism. His human body was already at its limits when he received my Spirit Light Wave Gem ten years too early. Fortunately for him, he had mazoku blood and his natural penchant to allow his emotions to magnify his power to help him out, which enabled him to reach power levels that typically took decades or centuries for even conqueror-class demons to attain."

The diminutive elderly lady wagged her finger at the self-employed Reikai Tantei.

"However, your instantaneous evolution is both a blessing and a curse. Something has got to give, and the Kugai proved it's your sanity that's on the line when you became drunk with your own power. Had you been trained properly, you would've had the discipline required to control the wellspring of energy inside you. As it is, having _both_ the Kugai and the Rei-Kou-Gyoko amplify your might can result in you being controlled by your S-Level powers instead of the other way around."

Yusuke shuddered. Whether it was because of his excitement at the prospect of achieving his ancestral father's peak powers at the tender age of almost seventeen or because of his dread that he could end up like Toguro or Sensui despite all his master's warnings to avoid those men's dire fates was up in the air.

Genkai also trembled. Even during the point that Yusuke had just killed Sensui, he was already many levels more powerful than her. If he wanted to destroy the world, she wouldn't be able to do a thing to stop him, then and now.

However, in spite of herself, she wondered how powerful the boy could become if he were to unleash his full might using his demonic atavism, Rando's Kugai, and her own Rei-Kou-Gyoko.

Could he scale the same heights that the Three Kings of Makai... Yomi, Mukuro, and the late Raizen... achieved? Could he even become Class-X, which was the rumored rating reserved for gods and the creators of the different realms? Did a young, reckless boy like him even have the right to possess such power?

"As for your other concern, there's some good news and bad news. The good news is that even though Yusuke's power level will go down once the Spirit Light Wave Gem is removed, he should be able to regain his former glory in a couple of years or more thanks to his being half-youkai. The bad news is that there's no way to remove the Kugai once his chakra points had been opened, and it all depends on him to learn to master living with the World of Suffering for the rest of his life."

Yusuke wiped the sweat off of his brow as it slowly dawned to him the severity of his situation. He'd become so powerful, his body and his mind couldn't take it, but the solution to his problem involves losing the powers he'd worked so hard to achieve.

Should he go back to being barely strong enough to take on a weakling like Gouki? Would he return to becoming a mediocre spirit detective who depended on the devil's luck to win? Would he end up a tantei whom either of the Toguro Brothers could wipe the floor with?

Although Yusuke was ashamed to admit it, he'd become rather attached to his current strength. Even though he also valued his relationship with Keiko and the normal, peaceful side to human life, there was a bloodthirsty part of him that craved endless battles.

That was what he had on his mind when he asked, "Is there no way for me to somehow control both the Kugai and your Spirit Light Wave Gem? Or am I shit out of luck and I have no choice but to remove it, like a rotten tooth that's a candidate for a root canal I couldn't afford?"

"That's a good analogy. Also, that poses another problem. We don't have any other host for the Spirit Light Wave Gem anymore. I'm too old and you're too powerful," Genkai informed, amazed at how much of a hydra-headed problem the World of Suffering turned out to be.

"You _may_ be able to handle your severely amplified power. Or maybe not. I'm not sure. I took a gamble on you by transferring my power to you at such a young age, and you almost died. This time around, we're facing another dilemma... the same dilemma that Enma Daio was so concerned about when you revived for a second time. You might go insane with sheer power, and no force in Heaven or Earth will be able to stop you."

Feeling completely spent by the predicament he presently faced, Yusuke plopped down on the floor and stared at the ceiling. "Whatever. If Keiko wasn't in a coma, then my solution to that problem would be simple. Look for the Chojin and use up my so-called excess of power on him. Let him have a taste of his own medicine. Then maybe the Spirit World could finish off whichever one of us survives."

"Don't even joke about that, Yusuke! That's a barbaric way to go, you violence-obsessed brute! I won't allow it!" Keiko declared as she slipped her hand right into Yusuke's back and gave him a (literally) spine-tingling grab.

After recovering from Keiko's ghostly attack, Yusuke could only reply, "If we're left with no other choice, then that's what I'm going to do."

"Keiko, look up the sky. What do you see over there?" the old woman asked, pointing at the Star of Death she could discern as clear as day. To her chagrin, the sixteen-year-old responded, "I see a bright star over there. A really bright one. Why do you ask?"

"I see. Keiko, do as the Spirit World recommends. Do as many good deeds as you can. Pass as many of their tests as you can. Once you stop seeing that bright star beside the Big Dipper every night, then that means you're on your way to waking up from your coma."

"She needs to do all that just because she can see some stupid star in the sky?" complained Yusuke, which forced Genkai to explain to Keiko the significance of the mystical heavenly body.

"Only those who were about to die could see the Star of Death, and it also served as a way for those slated for death to change or accept their fate if they so chose."

Keiko nodded, repeating her mantra that everything was going to be all right or else... she too would make lemonade out of whatever lemons life, fate, and destiny gave her.

The combined life forces of Yusuke, Puu, Genkai, Kuwabara, Botan, and Kenshin helped bring her back from the brink of death. She wouldn't waste their efforts in reviving her, even though the unanswered question of, "What if good karma isn't enough to lift Seiryu's curse?" continued to nag her at the back of her mind.

Genkai turned towards her former student and beckoned him to stand up and face her. "As for you, Yusuke... FIVE DAIKEN WISDOM! JYU REI JOU SHU NO GYO!"

"Huh? Five Daikon what...?" blabbered the half-youkai before he realized that his former master had pulled a fast one on him.

Like before, prior to the Class-B-Minus Yusuke's confrontation against Toguro Ototo in the Dark Martial Arts Tournament (around the time he was finally able to survive the frightening power of the Rei-Kou-Gyoko), Yusuke was again subjected to the restraining powers of Genkai's Spirit Cuffs.

"Ow! You've given me these handcuffs and leg shackles again? What'd you do that for?" Yusuke attempted to break free of his bonds through his Class-S powers. However, he found them limiting his power the same way Raizen's head monk, Hokushin, used Demon World energy parasites when he and two other monks first came to visit the Human World.

"Hey, hold on! I'm already Class-S! Why do these things still feel heavy? Hell, they're even heavier than before! And what do they have to do with daikon and wisdom?" By "daikon", Yusuke referred to Japanese white radish.

Genkai took the knee-high table and slammed it onto Yusuke's head.

"Genkai-baasan!" Keiko yelped at the septuagenarian.

"You idiot! I said _Daiken_, not daikon! The Shu no Gyo is one of my Five Great Fists, the others involving offense, defense, emptiness, and purification. Wisdom can come from learning restraint. Also, like a Chinese finger trap, the more you struggle against the Shu no Gyo with your reiki or youki, the tighter your bonds will be."

"I've already learned to summon these cuffs on my own, Granny! That's how I was able to perform the Jyu Rei Jou Ante back when the Shisejyu first attacked!"

Ever since he returned to the Human World, Yusuke had been experimenting on ways to reduce his power in order for him to live his life normally.

"Apparently, your version of the Spirit Cuffs wasn't enough to reign in your full power. Or do I have to remind you that you wasted all your energy trying to kill Rando, which was exactly what that demon wanted you to do so that you couldn't help Himura-san with his fight?" riposted Genkai.

"Sheesh, all right. I get it." Yusuke rolled his eyes. "I can't say I missed being shackled by invisible bonds, but I guess they're working, because I think I'm now back to A-Level power. If Sensui were to come back from the dead and kick my ass, he'd be able do so in a snap! I can still kick Toguro's ass though, provided that he doesn't suddenly turn S-Level on me."

Genkai then confessed, "You're right, Yusuke. You can easily get out of the cuffs using the 'Jyu Rei Jou Ante' password. The point of this entire exercise is for you to learn how to use only a portion of your powers and having the discipline to not always rely on them even when the key to your freedom is within your reach."

Yusuke laughed out loud. "Ah, so now I'm at only fifty percent of my power! It'll take quite a lot to bring out one hundred percent of my abilities!" he declared in a mock baritone as he put on shades from out of his pockets while posing like a body builder.

The resulting pulse of energy from even Yusuke's Class-A self was enough to tear through the floor.

A vein popped on Genkai's head, which prompted Keiko to usher the furiously scribbling Sayaka out of harm's way (even though they were in ghost form) as the Rei-Hadou-Ken Master demonstrated to her cheeky ex-disciple three of her Five Great Fists.

Keiko sighed as she palmed her face. "Yusuke, you imbecile."

* * *

_Outside Genkai's temple, as contracted workers from both the Human World and Demon World were finishing up for the day... _

The scuffed-up Yusuke pouted. "I want to smash some heads and destroy buildings, dammit."

"Who are you, Godzilla? Leave those buildings alone!" berated Keiko as she floated alongside Sayaka while they descended on the partially damaged stairs. "Besides, Genkai-baasan already beat you to a pulp. Isn't that enough?"

Yusuke went silent, realizing that while the Five Daiken did keep him in line, his hidden power allowed him to take the brunt of Genkai's techniques. For good or for ill, he now knew what the Younger Toguro felt as he pounded him to the pavement without yet unleashing a hundred percent of his power.

He had already destroyed mountains by tenderizing them from the strong shockwaves of his own punches when he fought both Sensui and Yomi. Being forced to hold back his power made him feel a bit restless. Agitated. Unsatisfied.

"I'm done!" Sayaka declared, which caught her companions' attention. "So Big Bro already knows what he should do with his Kugai problem, and thanks to his stories, Big Sis also has a better idea of what's to come."

Keiko tilted her head to the side. "Big Sis...?"

"Yep! You're my Keiko-neechan now!" Sayaka hugged the somewhat bewildered teenager. Keiko then took note to herself that ghosts could touch each other even though they could pass through anything tangible in the world of the living.

"Anyway, I might as well tell you what Koenma-sama told me in regards to your upcoming tests. He intended to assign you to possible missions wherein people are suspected of being victimized by the Chojin to gather more jaki for his army."

Keiko winced. There was that word again: Jaki. It was as if she were tainted by the substance. She barely heard any mention of it during the Dark Martial Arts Tournament. It was always either spirit energy or demon energy that they had to deal with.

Her first taste of jaki came in the form of an energy ball that blew her away at the apex of Genkai's stairs, thrown by a muscular, white-haired being.

She asked Yusuke what that person's name was, because large patches of her memory remained blank regarding the time when Meikai attacked the Ningenkai for the sake of reviving their long-dead kingdom... or so she'd been told.

"Yakumo. And you're right about the jaki thing. That was the first time we ever had to fight against concentrated evil before... Oh, sorry. 'Negative energy' isn't supposed to be 'evil', says the little brat," Yusuke answered while using obnoxious air quotes with his fingers to emphasize his point.

"So what's our plan?" Keiko took turns looking at Sayaka and Yusuke while she shrugged. "I mean, when you were a ghost, you were tasked to hold on to an egg while helping out people. So do you have a list for me to follow or something...?"

Yusuke scratched the back of his head, glad that he was talking to two ghosts in his lonesome instead of at a public place as he walked down the steps of Genkai's shrine. He didn't need to look like an idiot in front of anyone but those two while in the middle of nowhere.

"Botan and I kind of played it by the ear. If something came up, I helped out. We weren't really given any missions or anything."

Keiko stared flatly at Yusuke. "You're kidding me." So Urameshi was able to find missions through his infamous dumb luck. She didn't nearly have the same hold on providence as he had, so how was she supposed to go about treading the same path he did?

Sayaka started to say something but cut herself off. "Never mind." Keiko merely looked at the innocently whistling... or blowing, since she didn't know how to whistle... ghost girl turned shinigami trainee.

'What are we supposed to do now?' Keiko wondered. Anyone who had been paying attention to what Koenma and Sayaka talked about while deliberating Keiko's ultimate fate could see that hers was a unique and troubling case.

She was a survivor who went from being killed to being turned into a vegetable that might or might not be better off dead. Then again, Yusuke's case when he first died was an exceptional one as well.

Keiko had a lot to mull over as she floated beside her weary boyfriend and their assigned shinigami-in-training. It seemed a little unfair. Yusuke was killed by a car accident, and over a year later, he survived the ordeal and became stronger than ever, turning into one of the Spirit World's elite Reikai Tantei (and he even discovered he had demon blood in him to boot).

Did she have demon's blood? Certainly not. Was she a fighter like Yusuke? She possessed a mean slap (and a powerful forehand on the same arm that she used often in high school volleyball), but aside from that, she wasn't exactly about to electrify the All-Japan Women's Pro Wrestling circuit. She was a normal Japanese school girl with a squeaky, chipmunk voice that she hated, damn it!

On the other hand, Yusuke wasn't exactly _required_ to fight until he was "hired" to become a spirit detective. For detectives, they spent more time beating up people than solving supernatural crimes. All the other times he fought, it was him merely being himself. He fought because he loved to fight.

Not that she _needed_ to battle anyone to the death to get out of her coma or anything (and not that she wanted to, either), but... something about her earlier chat with her two companions kept her from being too enthusiastic about the situation.

Their comments about ghosts who had such strong earthly desires, they were left earthbound because of them frightened her. She certainly didn't want that sort of fate.

As such, even though she remained hopeful that she'd pull through, she also considered the merits of letting things be and passing on like a good ghost would.

'Now is not the time to think about that. Whatever will be, will be. I still have this sliver of hope left. At the risk of becoming an earthbound spirit, I will dare to hope.'

Just as Keiko was abut to suggest that they go ghost hunting to find ways to save earthbound ghosts from their fate and "improve her karma" (whatever that meant), she turned and saw a familiar image before her that reminded her of her happier times with Yusuke. She covered her mouth to stifle a giggle.

"What?" Yusuke mumbled before feeling a familiar weight on his head. For her part, Keiko could only cover her face, point at the noggin of her significant other's head, and laugh out loud.

"PUU? What the hell...? Why are you small again?"

Sure enough, the former mascot of the Urameshi Team was once more roosting atop Urameshi's head. For some reason, Puu had been reduced from being a bird monster the size of a horse to a duckbilled... something with floppy ears that it flapped around in order to fly.

"I guess the poor guy must've shrunk back to its original size after you put on the Spirit Cuffs again," Sayaka supposed, oblivious of the choking sounds Yusuke made and Keiko's ghostly blush after making her innocent observation.

For Puu's part, it could only tilt its head in wonderment at the situation and squawk its own name.

The little girl pulled out a Spirit Energy Detector to measure what was left of Yusuke's power. She did a low whistle (or attempted to) and declared, "It says here that you're a little over A+ now, Niichan. Huh. That must've been an extra special Daiken."

The floating shinigami-in-training narrowed her almond eyes, gasped, and reeled. "Wait, I see four energy shackles on your feet and hands! Why?"

Yusuke held his hands up helplessly. "Like I said, I already know how to do the cuffing technique so that I'm only barely S-Level while I'm in the Human World as a favor to Koenma. With Granny doing another handcuffing move on me, I've now been double cuffed and reduced to the same power level I had after defeating Togoru but before facing a Class-S Sensui."

Sayaka looked at Yusuke blankly. "I don't know who those people are."

Although she did keep herself updated with her so-called big brother's adventures through the chatty Botan from time to time, she didn't know the people Yusuke namedropped. To be quite frank, she had been too busy with her promising afterlife career as a ferry-girl to learn more about them.

"What? Oh... Never mind," said Yusuke as he put his hands in his pockets and sulked. "Where are we headed anyway?" he asked as Puu flapped his ears and landed atop Keiko's waiting arms, chirping happily because for the first time in years, he was small enough for Keiko to carry.

Unfortunately for Puu, Keiko was in ghost form, so he ended up passing through a colder portion of air she occupied thanks to her incorporeal body. She pouted as the bird beast chirped a haunting sigh and slowly flew back to Yusuke's gelled head.

"Even though I don't know who those guys you mentioned are, Botan still told me everything there is to know about how you got your life back, Big Bro." Sayaka flipped through her clipboard.

"After Big Bro gets his much-needed rest, we're going to visit one of the people whose lives he'd touched and changed for the better tomorrow morning. That way, Big Sis will get a better idea of how to acquire more good karma for herself!"

"I guess that sounds... logical," Keiko supposed with a small shrug and a nod of her head while absently patting the hairy head of the feathered Puu, who crowed in satisfaction. "Who are we supposed to visit?"

"Are we going to find the kid whom I saved from being run over?" Yusuke asked. "Or the soul of the old man who rescued a tanuki from a bear trap? How about that classmate of mine who's trying to become a professional boxer? Are we going to go back to the Spirit World? I really want to know what happened to the ghost girl whom I took on a date!"

A dread chill passed through Yusuke's spine even though Keiko's ghostly hand was nowhere near it. He also flinched as the spirit of his comatose girlfriend stared back at him in askance. "...Or maybe we're going to meet up with, um, ol' bigheaded Moto Daisuke. Yeah."

Keiko rolled her eyes while Puu slapped Yusuke's forehead with his big, floppy ears. She then tugged at Sayaka's sleeves to catch the shinigami-in-training's attention.

"Which person from Yusuke's past are we visiting, Sayaka-chan?" Keiko bit her lip, hoping that it _wasn't_ the nameless ghost girl his boyfriend dated despite knowing that what he did for her was a touching gesture.

Sayaka's cheeks reddened despite the lack of blood within her transparent, ectoplasm-filled body. "Actually..."

* * *

"I should've known," Yusuke declared while waiting outside the house of the person from his past whom Sayaka wanted to visit, his shrunken pet monster nuzzled atop his disheveled mane, turning it into a bird's nest of sorts.

He had a wheeled, mobile version of his noodle shop handy so that he could at least do some business early in the morning while serving as Keiko and Sayaka's lookout. The last thing he wanted was to appear like an out-of-school youth spying on other people's homes.

The half-demon Urameshi jibed to Puu, "I liked you better when you were as big as a Toyota and literally out of my hair."

Meanwhile, Keiko and Sayaka floated above Shota, the little boy with the dead dog Jiro and the thirteen-year-old crush of the ferry-girl trainee. He waved at his mother goodbye while biting down on a piece of buttered toast and slipping on his shoes at the doorway.

"Oh, I see. That's the boy that Yusuke helped out twice during his adventures as a ghost!" observed Keiko. "He's the kid whose dog died. He was also almost flung into an endless abyss by you and your loneliness, Sayaka-chan! Um, so what's his name?" came the high school girl's not-so-smooth backpedal after reminding Sayaka of her past sins.

"Shota-kun is his name, Big Sis," Sayaka said, her eyes never leaving the bespectacled boy's form.

"Shota? Isn't that name a little too on the nose?" was the question Keiko stopped herself from asking because she knew better.

"Where do you think you're going, little boy? You still have some studying to do!" said Shota's mom, her eyeglasses glinting from the glare of a stray sunbeam shining through a nearby glass-paned window.

"Aw, Mom! I've passed all my tests and I've already been accepted into Sarayashiki Junior High! Can't I catch a break? Let me play with my friends for once! School's not even here yet!" argued Shota.

The pair of ghosts followed the bespectacled boy as he went out, phasing right through the door before remembering that Yusuke and Puu weren't spirits like them, so of course Shota would see the two as soon as he got out of the house. 'Uh oh.'

"Hey, Mister! How much for two bowls?"

If Yusuke's heart were still beating, it would've jumped into his throat. He didn't even have time to hide the duck-like creature atop his head as his muscle memory involving noodle preparation kicked in.

* * *

**To Be Continued...**

_Next: Keiko's first mission._

The conversation between Keiko, Yusuke, and Sayaka are actually references to the differences between the manga version (which took a great deal longer to get finished) and anime version (which is the abbreviated version of the manga's story) of Yusuke's resurrection. It covers most of the manga story arcs that the anime didn't address.

_May kailangan pa ba akong sabihin?_**_  
_****Abdiel**


	29. Chapter 28

**Demon Sword**

A Yuyu Hakusho/Rurouni Kenshin Crossover Fan Fiction by Chester Castañeda

Original Concept by Chad Yang

Ghost hunting might not be a bad idea.

_Disclaimer: Yuyu Hakusho is the rightful property of Yoshihiro Togashi, Shueisha, Fuji TV, and St. Pierrot. Rurouni Kenshin is the rightful property of Nobuhiro Watsuki, Shueisha, Shonen Jump, Viz, Sony Studios, Fuji TV, Studio Gallup, Studio Deen, and ADV. This disclaimer also covers all the other copyrighted material that are far too many to mention here. Don't sue me please, I'm very poor._

* * *

**Chapter 28: Homework Never Ends (Part 3)**

* * *

"Ah! Big Bro! What brings you here?" was what Shota didn't say from behind Yusuke Urameshi because the only time they ever interacted was when the older boy pretended to be a mustachioed bad guy who was out to bring his deceased dog Jiro to Hell if he didn't stop crying about the poor earthbound canine.

The little boy instead queried, "Hey, Mister! How much for two bowls?" as he dug into his pockets for his allowance. "Never mind, I saw the price list!" He proceeded to pay the man for the food.

'Ah. The little brat doesn't even remember me. Well, granted, he only saw me twice in his lifetime, and that was when he was dreaming or half-conscious, but still...' thought Yusuke.

"Shota-kun, I though we were going to go on a picnic! We're supposed to eat at the park!" complained a girl the same age as the bespectacled boy.

"I already paid for it, Shiori!" protested Shota. He then tilted his head to the side as he stared at the gel-haired ramen cook. He'd almost asked if he met the guy before. Maybe this person bullied him in the past...?

Shiori noticed Puu sitting atop Yusuke's head. "Wow! That looks so cute. Is that the mascot of your restaurant, Mister?"

"This?" The cook scratched his head. "Oh... this is a doll." The blue bird... thing gave the ramen vendor woodpecker pecks on his scalp in response. "OW! Okay, fine. Not a doll. It's a... What's it called, Keiko? How am I supposed to...? I mean, it's called a Plate Pussy."

Yusuke flinched as his head snapped back, with one of his cheeks reddening. Was he having an allergic reaction? Shota hated those. "PLATYPUS! IT'S A PLATYPUS! Whatever that is... Duck beaver. Yeah."

"...W-What?" Shota's friend Shiori blurted out. "O-Okay. Platypus, huh? Did you steal it from the zoo, Mister?"

"...Your bowl of soup is ready, Princess! Eat up. I'll get your boyfriend's order in a minute," the presumably out-of-school youth cut Shiori off, the supposed "pet" atop his head establishing the pecking order.

'What a weirdo,' thought Shota as he shook his head, his mouth a straight, flat line of expressionless disbelief. Regardless, for whatever reason, the thirteen-year-old kid wanted to punch the ramen vendor's face, and he didn't know why. What had gotten into him? He'd never even met the guy, and he wanted to punch him.

"Uh, is there something the matter, kid?" the hooligan-haired cook asked as he handed Shota his ramen. "Do I have condiments on my face?"

"N-Nothing." Shota waved the short-order cook off.

"Okay. If you say so," Yusuke shrugged as he went about cleaning his cooking utensils.

"It happened again," Shiori blurted out after she joined Shota on the bench attached to Yusuke's ramen cart and gently slurped her noodles.

"_What_ happened again?" Shota asked as he slurped his own noodles even more daintily than his female companion.

"_That_. The thing we talked about before," she answered while lightly wiping her mouth with a napkin. "It's starting to really freak me out. Those weird sounds. My dolls and dresses flying out of my closet by themselves. My stuff moving from room to room without my knowledge. It's getting really creepy in our house."

Shiori dabbed her eyes with another napkin. "My parents wouldn't even believe me when I tell them about those weird occurrences. They keep saying it's all in my imagination. You're the only one I can count on, Shota-kun," she declared while holding the boy's hands.

The tomato-faced Shota answered, "I-It must be a p-poltergeist. I've read as much as I could about it in the library, but that wasn't enough, so I looked through the b-b-bookstore on the o-occult section." He swallowed the frog in his throat. "Y-You can count on m-me!"

Shiori said, "It's settled then! Let's go back to my house after our picnic."

The red-faced and fidgeting Shota replied, "Eh? EH?"

"I had my doubts, but you came through, Sayaka-chan! We actually have a case to solve for Keiko's sake thanks to your insistence on revisiting Shota-kun," whispered Yusuke to Sayaka after his two preteen customers bowed and started to leave.

As though waking up from a flowery, sparkle-filled daze, Sayaka crowed while her wandering eyes followed the exiting thirteen-year-olds, "Huh? A case? What case?"

Yusuke sweated salty liquids while Keiko perspired ectoplasm. "N-Never mind," they chorused.

* * *

The mansion that Yusuke, Keiko, Sayaka, and Puu ended up in while following the two preteen lovebirds after a day of picnicking sported a ceiling so high, the house could double as an assembly hall.

The spacious abode sported an overhanging television set that Yusuke only saw in brochures for five-star hotels and resorts, ornate carpets Sayaka could've sworn were props for an old-fashioned sword-and-sandal Hollywood movie, and glass windows and doors galore that reminded Keiko of the Western saying of, "Don't throw rocks if you live in a glass house."

"Goddamn. Where the hell did we end up in? A museum or an opera house? This place is huge! Does this even count as a residential home?" said Yusuke in a low voice while hiding behind one of many statues, trees, and other structures across Shiori's equally spacious and bricked front yard... a yard so big, the trio (or quartet, if one would count Puu) had a hard time telling where the neighborhood ended and the girl's immense property began.

As for Puu, he interacted with the local "wildlife", flying around with the birds and the bees while Yusuke swatted after him. "What the hell has gotten into you, you stupid bird monster? We're in stealth mode right now, dammit!"

"I wonder what Botan would do right about now?" wondered Sayaka aloud as she and Keiko followed after Shota and Shiori within the mansion, ignoring Yusuke as he made a commotion outside the yard alongside the penguin-shaped, floppy-eared spirit beast.

"The ramen vendor from earlier is following us," was the first thing Keiko and Sayaka overheard Shiori say to Shota while sitting across the couch of the mansion's enormous guestroom. "He's been following us all this time. Is he a pedophile?"

Shota forced out laughter that strained his constricted throat. "You're right. I can even see him playing with his flying pet penguin thing right now. I'm surprised none of your bodyguards caught him yet."

Actually, Yusuke took care of all the mansion's impressive security details in ten seconds flat.

With moist eyes, Shiori grabbed hold of Shota's sleeves and shrieked, "Shota-kun! He's like the Otaku Murderer from four years ago! He even has that strange platypus thing to lure children in his dark-tinted van! He's even scarier than the ghost I was talking about! We have to call the police!"

"Eh?" mumbled Shota before regaining his senses and running towards the nearest phone. "I'm right on it, Shiori-chan!"

"AH, OKAY! I'M GOING! I'M GOING! I heard you loud and clear the first time! This is not what it looks like! There's no need to involve any cops!" Yusuke called out to the kids within the house after capturing Puu.

The last thing he wanted was to ruin Keiko's first mission. He also wanted to apologize for the beat-up security team within the area, but he had enough common sense to hold his tongue at the last minute. However, he wanted to make one thing perfectly clear.

"I'm going... BUT I'M NOT A PEDOPHILE!"

"What a considerate pedophile. Bye-bye, Lolicon-ojisan!" was Shiori's sudden one-eighty after realizing that the weirdo ramen vendor was leaving without a fight, seemingly not hearing what he'd said afterwards.

"WHAT DID I JUST SAY? I don't have a Lolita complex and I'm not a dirty old man either!" protested Yusuke as he jumped over the ten-foot wall.

Unfortunately, Puu chose that moment to escape Urameshi's grasp and nibble at the half-demon's belt, which caused his pants to drop to his heels and reveal his black briefs for all to see (he had a Monday-Wednesday-Friday schedule for briefs, and a Tuesday-Thursday-Saturday schedule for boxers; Sunday was a surprise).

Shiori screeched and covered her eyes while a pale-faced Shota fell on his posterior, the policeman on the other line shouting, "Hello? What's going on there? Is this a prank call?"

"JUST GO AWAY ALREADY, YOU MORON!" Keiko screamed at her boyfriend... or perhaps ex-boyfriend by the time this mission was over... after throwing a stone that hit the struggling Yusuke straight on the noggin and knocked him over the wall with Puu in tow. "Jeez, does he really have to embarrass himself every time?"

"AH! Where'd that rock come from?" asked Shota, his drooping lower jaw seemingly unhinged from its sockets.

"I told you that our house was haunted!" answered a trembling Shiori as she tackled Shota, her skin as white as eggshells.

* * *

'Stupid Yusuke.'

Distracted by how her disembodied (to Shota and Shiori) rock throw at Yusuke affected the pair of kids before her, Keiko failed to notice the firecracker gunshots from beyond the wall, her focus reserved solely on the two petrified children.

"Ah, I shouldn't have done that." Keiko bowed at the shuffling and turning preteens repeatedly and apologetically, even though they couldn't see her.

"Never mind that, Big Sis! At least we can now get to the bottom of their ghostly problems!" reassured Sayaka. The little ghost girl took a look at her clipboard and filled in her poltergeist report.

"I guess we should first make sure that this really is a ghoul or not. Anyway, although I'm a student ferry-girl, I'm still authorized to deliver souls to the nearest shinigami available."

"Uh-huh," muttered Keiko as she scrambled her brains over the stories Yusuke told concerning his quest for resurrection. No matter how she rationalized it, all of Yusuke's missions were solved through his own pigheaded stubbornness and inherent luckiness.

Was that what she was supposed to do to? Recklessly confront challenges head-first and rely on luck she might not even have to pull her through? She didn't even have demon blood or an ability to defy fate itself either!

Three years ago, all she needed to worry about was getting her delinquent childhood friend to school. How did it all come to this?

"Uh? Keiko-neechan? Hello?" Sayaka waved her hand in front of the dazed Keiko. "You shouldn't worry about this mission too much. We're just testing out the waters. Maybe we're not facing an onryo. Maybe it's a zashiki-warashi like I was before."

"Oh, right! I guess you _were_ a zashiki-warashi. But aren't those types of ghosts a lot more concerned with pranks than, well... you know. What you did," Keiko pointed out before realizing her insensitivity. "My apologies. I said something I shouldn't have."

"Oh, it's okay." Incidentally, the onryo were vengeful spirits straight out of purgatory, while the zashiki-warashi were the ghosts of children who were often mischievous instead of dangerous. As a result, Sayaka appended, "I guess not all ghosts of children are harmless, huh?"

"I-I guess." Keiko nodded while biting her lip. "Although I am hoping that the ghost we're dealing with is a zashiki-warashi."

Once Shota had Shiori (and himself) calmed down from their encounter with the "child predator" and the supernatural, they proceeded straight into Shiori's room, which turned out to be more of an entire wing of the house than a mere room.

On one part of Shiori's room lay what looked like an exhibit of dolls of all shapes and sizes: A toy store full of mannequins and marionettes, to be exact. Were it owned by a thirty-year-old NEET (not in education, employment, or training) man living in his parent's home, he'd be called a potential psycho.

"Oh, pretty! Look at all those dolls," marveled Sayaka. "Shiori must have been born with a silver spoon in her mouth to have this many toys. My parents couldn't even afford to buy me one doll."

"They're kind of creeping me out, to be honest. It's like they're staring right through my soul... in a manner of speaking," confessed Keiko.

While "normal girl" tea parties were held with imaginary cups of tea while talking to stuffed animals, Shiori's tea party came with lovely female servants fully decked in uniforms typically seen in Akihabara maid cafes and ceramic tea sets worth more than a school year's worth of Shota's tuition to Sarayashiki Junior High.

The imported green tea itself had a foreign name that the preteen boy couldn't identify. He did remember the maid say that it was manufactured by a tea company that held all three Royal Warrants or something to that effect. 'What does that even mean?' he thought.

"Hey, Shota-kun. My parents are away at work for once instead of following my every movement. The only people here are the servants and my bodyguards. We're practically alone." Shiori's mouth curved ever so slightly as she saw her favorite male companion turn beet red over her statement.

'Eh? EH? Is that something junior high students should be saying to each other? Even Yusuke never pulled anything like this on me...'

Keiko's eyes swirled at the boldness of the two children before her. From behind her, the servants tittered at the scene while she herself remained unseen to the naked eye.

"Ah? Well... Um. Yeah." Shota fidgeted he stubbed his toe on one of the table legs, dropped his glasses, and nearly shattered the cup of tea given to him, his unseeing eyes darting back and forth like he were a trapped animal of some sort. "D-Do you regularly invite boys back to your m-mansion?"

Keiko then heard Sayaka sigh from behind her as the spirit guide trainee reminisced about all the good times she spent with her former puppy love.

* * *

As Yusuke nursed his sore head on the other side of the wall he just fell over, he caught Puu by the stomach and shook him around like a bell.

"What is up with you today? This is the last time I'm taking you with me in a mission, y'hear?" admonished Urameshi as he pulled at the spirit beast's mouth as though he were an errant child. The sleek-haired teenager then felt a shudder up the back of his neck, which prompted him to turn around.

"We finally found you, kid... if you really are a kid. Those were some pretty nifty moves you did there. Did you use some sort of knockout gas or something on us?"

The retired Spirit World Detective soon found himself surrounded by a multitude of men who sported greasy hair, tinted sunglasses, black ties, black shoes, white shirts, and black suits. If he didn't know any better, he'd swear he just broke into a yakuza hideout, Area 51, or a black-tie affair for blind people.

"Huh. You're all still alive and kicking, eh? I'm impressed. Usually when I punch humans, they stay down." Yusuke smirked.

"Who are you? Are you a spy? An assassin? Were you hired by one of our masters' enemies from rival companies?" grilled one of the men in black."

"I don't know who the hell you are and how you were able to knock out the front yard guards, but we won't let you soil Shiori-sama's pristine virtue!" said the seeming leader of the aforementioned eighty-eight bodyguards employed by Shiori's parents to safeguard their precious daughter as they brandished enough weapons and armaments to conquer an entire city, or at least bring down a drug cartel.

"Fine by me. I was kind of getting bored babysitting those two middle school lovebirds anyway." Yusuke's knuckles crackled while Puu rested on his shoulder like a parrot would to a stereotypical pirate captain. "Wait, did you just say I'm after the little girl's _virtue_? That's messed up! You've got it all...!"

The wall exploded from the simultaneous impact of a hundred or so bullets. Nevertheless, it was enough to wake the Class-A Yusuke from his stupor over being accused of pedophilia and unleash just as many fists against all those bullets.

* * *

Meanwhile, Shiori tilted her head to the side and brushed back a stray strand of hair over her eyes. "Nope. You're the first boy I've invited to my house."

"Y-Yeah. I-It's because of t-the ghost, right? So that I can h-help you get rid of it."

She shrugged. "I guess."

"Y-You seem quite f-forward today, Shiori-chan," the boy mumbled under his breath, his sweaty head as red and piping hot as a freshly steamed lobster.

"Not really. If you want to talk about daring, then that would have to be you, Shota-kun," said Shiori, her mouth curved upwards and her eyes closed in bliss. "You were shy and quiet when we first became classmates back in elementary, right? You were also a bit of a crybaby."

Shota deflated like an untied balloon upon hearing... or rather discovering... that her childhood friend of three years was aware of his days as a introverted loner who was regularly bullied for his utter spinelessness.

"Y-Yeah. I'm surprised you remembered me back then when I... was like that."

With sultry eyes and a cat's smile, Shiori asked, "What made you change, I wonder? Was it love? Was it a girl?"

'It was actually a dog,' Shota thought before waving Shiori off. "I haven't changed all that much. I still wear glasses. I'm still a huge nerd. I still get bullied at school."

"You're now friends with some of your former bullies. You're a lot more talkative now. Even though people do tease you, everyone wants to hang out with you because you know a lot of interesting stuff," Shiori countered, smirking. "I was so impressed when you started to become more confident with yourself."

"I-I'm not all that brave," a turnip bearing Shota's face, hairdo, and signature glasses insisted. "My heart still does the conga every time I'm asked to speak in front of class. I-I even nearly drowned in our swimming class's final exams!"

"I know you're scared. It's kind of cute how you still stand up to people even though you're the same ol' Shota-kun deep down inside." Shiori giggled. "But isn't it braver for a person to do things although they're afraid to do them? That's something I've always admired about you."

A blushing Keiko and Sayaka flanked the pair on both sides, the floating specters watching the scene unfold before them as though it were an afternoon television drama as Shiori and Shota looked away from each other in smiling embarrassment.

"I wish I were as brave as you. I wish I could stand up for myself. I... barely get to do anything anymore. It can get kind of lonely here, caged around in this house like a bird. Even if it's still a couple of weeks till we start junior high, I'm really looking forward to being there with you, Shota-kun."

"Oooh! I like the atmosphere that these two are having! They're so lovey-dovey!" said Sayaka.

"Is it really all right for you to cheer Shota on like this, Sayaka-chan?" hissed Keiko even though she had no reason to whisper. "Didn't you have a crush on this kid?"

"It's okay," said Sayaka. "My one-sided love doesn't compare to their mutual affection."

"Sayaka-chan..."

"Shiori-chan, I..." began Shota.

"Ah! Can you wait a minute, Shota-kun? I have something to show you."

"S-Sure. What is it?" Shota asked, but Shiori had already gone straight for her closet that, for any normal tenant, was large enough to be an entire apartment in and of itself.

"Ah, you were almost there, Shota-kun. Hang in there," Sayaka cheered as her ectoplasmic tears cascaded over her cheeks.

"Um, Sayaka-chan? We should go. I don't think there's a poltergeist here at all. That was only an excuse Shiori-chan made to get Shota-kun in her home," Keiko said, while adding to herself, 'I think you already knew that from the start, didn't you, Sayaka-chan?'

Sayaka pouted. "Just a few more minutes, Keiko-neechan! I swear we'll be hunting for real ghosts afterwards!"

"WE'RE NOT WATCHING A TV DRAMA! Didn't your mother teach you not to snoop into other people's business? Let's go!" Keiko dragged Sayaka by the hem of her dress's collar while the latter shrieked, "I don't want to go! Things are just getting good! Even my mother would cheer me on!"

After a couple of minutes, while Keiko struggled with an adamant Sayaka, Shiori came out wearing a familiar uniform that made the ghost of the comatose girl gasp.

"Wait a second! I know that uniform! That's the same uniform I used to wear! Oh, Shiori-chan mentioned something about going to Sarayashiki too..." Keiko trailed off.

"What do you think? Does it look good on me?" Shiori asked Shota, and of course the thirteen-year-old boy responded accordingly, stating, "Yes! You look very cute in that outfit, Shiori-chan! It suits you quite well! I can't wait for us to start going to Sarayashiki Junior High!"

Shiori giggled, her skirt swaying back and forth along with her hips as she held her cheeks with her palms. "I'm so happy that you..."

"SHIORI! WHO IS THAT BOY AND WHAT IS HE DOING IN OUR HOUSE?" boomed the last voice Shiori wanted to hear at the time.

"PAPA? I thought you had a party to attend to!" screamed Shiori as her gaze wandered all over the room for a hole she could crawl through right then and there.

For Shota's part, he clutched his chest, froze up, held his breath, sweated rivulets of ice-cold saltiness, and fell sideward to the floor like a stiff cardboard sign blown away by a wayward breeze. A leg of his twitched from time to time afterwards.

"I can't believe you'd do something like this, Shiori! How could you bring back boys to your room while believing that we were away, thinking that you'd be alone with them?" the pearl-wearing mother of Shiori berated, her svelte figure, tiara-accentuating updo, and black dress reminding Keiko of a Hollywood poster for a movie whose name she couldn't recall.

'The only thing that's missing is a cigarette holder.' The astral projection of the comatose Yukimura noted.

"I was hoping you'd prove your father wrong when we stayed behind, but then _this_ happens. I am so disappointed." The mouth of Shiori's mother puckered for a cigarette holder or cigarette that, as Keiko observed, wasn't there.

"Why can't either of you trust me? You never let me do anything on my own! I-I mean, Shota-kun is just a classmate of mine from school! A classmate! There's nothing between us at all!" a panicked Shiori blathered to her parents as they both shook their heads and turned their backs on her.

A different pain entered the pale and worn Shota upon hearing Shiori's denials; they were pinpricks, but they plunged right into his heart.

"You're forbidden to see this boy ever again. In fact, I'm sending you to an all-girls school instead of that Sarayashiki Junior High School you've insisted on enrolling to," came the ultimatum of Shiori's business-suited and mustachioed father.

"Eh?" Shota blurted out. Everything was happening way too fast. Wasn't he supposed to help Shiori with her ghost problem? What was going on?

"Father, that's a bit too harsh," balked Shiori's Mama at her husband while their daughter dropped to her knees, her eyes moist and red.

"It's about time we disciplined her, Mother. We've spoiled her far too much. This is for her own good," Shiori's Papa maintained as he adjusted his tie.

"Spoil me? SPOIL ME? You two have SUFFOCATED me! Living in this house is like living in a PRISON!" Everyone fell silent and held their breaths after hearing what Shiori had squeaked out. For a second or two, those present wondered if they'd gone deaf because of how quiet the room was.

Shota in particular clutched his head and covered his mouth as his vision blurred and warped. Shiori, who was so demure and ladylike that she'd probably flinch, yelp, and hide away into a corner at the mere sight of plates breaking, had just answered back her father's decision to separate the two of them. He didn't know if he should feel happy or alarmed at such a gesture.

At that point, the predictable shouting match between everyone involved (save a couple of eavesdropping ghosts) commenced.

"YES! Yes, you're spoiled! Have you taken a look at your room? Your closet? How can you be so ungrateful to us? We provided your every whim! Bought you clothes! Brought you toys! Let you go to whichever school suited your fancy! And you have the audacity...!"

"YOU CAN'T BUY YOUR DAUGHTER'S LOVE! You're always so strict with my grades! All I do is study and play with dolls! You never let me out of the house! I'm always supposed to act like the perfect little girl! Is that all I am to you? A trophy you can brag about to others? I never get to have any fun!"

"Fun? FUN? What do you want to do for FUN? The next thing I know, you'll be parading around in pastel clothes, knee-high socks, and dyed hair while dating middle-aged businessmen who are much older than I am! THERE'S NO WAY I'D ALLOW THAT!"

"Father, you're overreacting. She's a good girl and she made a mistake. Hasn't she been a good girl all this time? Hasn't she done all her homework and passed all her tests with flying colors? Let's ground her and be done with it."

"We have to discipline her now, Mother! Can't you see she's already giving us lip?"

"She's right, Sir! She's a perfect student back in our elementary school! She aces all her tests, a-and she was even ranked high among the people who t-took their entrance tests in Sarayashiki Junior High!"

"YOU! Keep quiet. Stay out of this! This is a family matter!"

"Papa...!"

"Father..."

"I bet her grades have been dipping slightly because of that boy over there! She's just a child! As soon as we take our eyes off of her, something might happen to her, and by that time, it'll be too late for regrets! Don't you remember the last time we were lax with our children?"

"Father, please. I don't want to remember that."

"I'VE NEVER FORGOTTEN! S-She doesn't know any better. I'd die before I let her be friends with a suspicious boy like that! What we're doing is all for her sake anyway, right? She should stop acting so spoiled and respect her mother and father for once! I only want to protect Ake... Shiori."

"...Protect me? PROTECT ME? You don't even remember my name at times! You keep calling me by someone else's name, even! My name is Shiori! I AM NOT AKE...!"

In an instant, Shiori's father grabbed hold of his daughter's collar and slapped her so hard, a button from her Sarayashiki uniform popped out.

"I don't want to hear another word from you, young lady. Stay inside this room. You're not going to Sarayashiki Junior High, and that's final. As for you, young man, our maids can escort you out of this house."

For the longest time, Akemi stared at the towering figure of her father as she lay there on the floor, her face stinging more with shock and humiliation than actual pain.

"Shiori-chan, please understand your Papa's..." her mother began, but Shiori wouldn't hear any of it.

"PAPA, I HATE YOU!" Shiori screamed as she ran past her father and the boy that inspired her to finally speak up for herself after years and years of constant academic pressure and overprotective parents.

* * *

Once again, Yusuke stood in the middle of a devastated lot, surrounded by well-dressed bodies strewn all around, fighting with only his pinky finger raised.

He sighed. 'I hate bullying the weak. Maybe I should've stayed in Makai for more than three years. Hell, if I did, then maybe I wouldn't have to deal with this Kugai nonsense.'

The leader of the Dark Martial Arts Tournament's Urameshi Team came face-to-face with the leader of the bodyguards hired to protect the little girl that called him a pedophilic pervert a while back.

"Haven't you've had enough? You've impressed me, though. If it weren't for you, then I wouldn't have been forced to raise my pinky at all."

"BASTARD! I'LL CAVE YOUR FACE IN!" roared the captain of the guards.

"A swing and a miss," mocked Yusuke while dodging his enemy's punch.

As the lead bodyguard lost his balance, Yusuke flicked his pinky finger and, in true Younger Toguro fashion, the force of his action was enough to collapse the abdomen of the persistent bodyguard and empty his lungs of air.

The yojimbo's sunglasses fell off his face as he dropped to his knees and vomited the contents of his stomach. Even at the reduced power level of Class-A, the half-demon remained a force to be reckoned with against mortal men.

"No. Not again. I've failed to protect our precious princess. I'm so sorry, Shiori-sama..."

'What a drama queen,' Yusuke mused as he kicked the gangster-looking agent around to see if he were alive and breathing. 'He knew he didn't stand a chance and he still fought me. Who does he think he is? Kuwabara Kazuma?'

The almost seventeen-year-old boy's eyes furrowed. 'Wait. Did he say, 'Not again'? Did this bullshit happen before?'

Puu squawked at Yusuke just as the ex-Reikai Tantei felt the dark presence of jealousy and resentment personified appear within the spacious confines of Shota's (kind of) girlfriend's mansion.

"Holy shit, _there's_ your poltergeist."

* * *

"We saw something we weren't supposed to see, didn't we?" queried Keiko, to which Sayaka could only answer with a nod. "Let's go. We've seen enough."

"How dare you." Three simple words, yet their impact shook the room and put the world to a seeming standstill.

"S-Sayaka-chan?" stuttered Keiko as her guardian ferry-girl-in-training clutched her body and moaned in pain. "What's going on?"

"I can feel it... that pain. Loneliness. Jealousy. I can't breathe, Big Sis. It's the same pain I felt when... when... I tried bringing Shota along with me to Heaven. Someone else is suffering the same pain."

As the crying Shiori was about to exit her own room, she felt something tug at her dress. It was her expensive, life-sized porcelain doll that was about four feet or so tall.

It murmured something at Shiori before it raised its heavyset head. Even though it lacked the moving parts and full articulation to do so, it opened its pursed mouth and hyperventilated. Its chest swelled and contracted. Its shoulders were raised so high that they came into contact with its stubby neck.

Shiori afterwards fell down to the floor as the Goldilocks-like doll with golden curls proportionately grew every time it sucked in air like a sputtering, secondhand car. The girl lying beside its feet gagged and choked, her complexion turning blue, as the doll siphoned the air within the room unto itself.

"P-Please stop... W-Why are you doing this?" beseeched Shiori as she coughed, wheezed, and saw the darkness creep at the edges of her vision.

"No. It can't be. The poltergeist was real?" Keiko said to herself, fear and awe gripping her as her mind raced on what she could possibly do against such a beast.

"SHIORI!" Shota and Shiori's Papa shouted in unison while the mother screamed for her servants and her bodyguards to do something and protect their precious only child.

At the back of Shota's mind, a mantra of 'The poltergeist is real,' repeated itself over and over.

"Where are our bodyguards? Where are our maids and butlers? Somebody, anybody... HELP US!" shrieked Shiori's Mama.

Keiko and Sayaka could only float there in midair as they helplessly watched Shota and the rest of Shiori's family collapse to the ground while the (they guessed) possessed doll continued to grow. The porcelain facade of the toy broke open, revealing hints of exposed muscle tissue and tendons. Something unthinkable lay beneath that plaything's surface.

"What the heck is that thing? Is that supposed to be a shinentai? A monster? I've never seen anything like it!" Keiko said as she tried to figure out what was going on. "And how is it suffocating them? By sucking in all the air? That only works if we're in an enclosed space!"

"We better do something, Big Sis! Or else we won't be the only ghosts floating around in this mansion!" Sayaka beckoned Keiko, but the latter had no clue what to do. It wasn't even about raising her karma to wake her up from her coma anymore; other lives were at stake this time around.

"...B-But what can we do?" Keiko asked, and the novice shinigami had no answers.

"Papa. Mama. I can't breathe... It hurts... H-Help me," Shiori mumbled as her glassy eyes stared into nothingness.

"SHIORI!" Although he himself couldn't breathe, his chest constricting so tightly it felt like his heart and lungs were on the verge of bursting, Shiori's daddy crawled towards his sweaty, breathless daughter and attempted to drag her away out of the monstrous mannequin's proverbial clutches.

"DAMMIT, leave my daughter alone!" Shiori's Papa punched the overgrown doll repeatedly, making its porcelain facade crack until the skin of his knuckles got torn away by the sharp shards. Inside the toy were strips of exposed muscle tissue, tendons, and cartilage, as if there were a living organism inside of it.

"Why her, not me?" was the last thing the middle-aged father heard before he passed out altogether with a chop on the head by the titanic mannequin.

"Mister...!" shouted Shota as he struggled to stand and walk despite his lightheadedness. For one reason or another, a feeling of deja vu enveloped his heart.

Flashes of Shota battling a mustachioed villain who had his dog Jiro chained up as well as visions of a long-haired, pale-skinned little girl in pajamas swam inside the surface of his mind. "LEAVE SHIORI-CHAN ALONE, YOU MONSTER!"

The blonde monstrosity turned and expelled a blast of air that flung Shota right into the glass shrine full of a variety of variegated dolls.

"SHOTA-KUN!" screamed Sayaka as she tried to catch the boy in mid-flight, but he ended up passing through her and crashing into the display case anyway. It took her several minutes to turn and rush towards the unmoving body of her first crush.

Keiko winced and covered her mouth at the resulting crash and pool of blood. Was this really happening? 'Do something. Dammit, do something!' she inwardly screamed at her frozen astral body. Back in the hospital where her body lay, her blood pressure and heart rate rose in response to what her soul was seeing.

"Please don't kill my family! Take me instead! I don't want to lose another one of them. I beg of you!" beseeched the mother. The ogre of guts and porcelain grabbed the woman and enveloped it into a hug. Shiori's mother then heard it say, "We'll be together always," as it crushed the life out of her.

Soon, only ghosts and goblins were left standing and cognizant within Shiori's room while the rest of the girl's family, herself, and her elementary school classmate got knocked out by the oxygen-depriving fiend lurking inside a cursed mannequin.

Sayaka trembled as she gazed upon the unmoving form of Shota, his blood pooling underneath him. Then, she heard Keiko gasp as her body grew warm with a familiar internal fire that spread inside her from head to toe.

'What's going on?' Keiko thought as she saw debris, doll fragments, broken tiles, and a host of other things not nailed to the ground orbit around a glowing Sayaka as if she were the sun and they were the planets.

The behemoth reacted in kind, letting go of Shiori's mother as it screeched at Sayaka.

The astral projection of Keiko then recalled Yusuke's stories of how he met the little ghost girl; she was more of a poltergeist than the monster within Shiori's room.

"If you lay another tendril on this family, I won't forgive you," said Sayaka as she raised her palm at the thing wearing Shiori's doll as its "skin" and produced an energy blast so powerful that even Urameshi would've been proud of it, which obliterated the dollish facade of the creature. The mannequin's ceramic hide shattered and its frilly dress unraveled from the concussive force of the spiritual beam.

Sayaka's efforts to save her one-time crush only made things worse. Free from the confines of the broken toy emerged a creature made of taut red tendrils intertwined together like strands of toffee, exposed pinkish meat akin to uncooked ham, long organic tubes that made it look like it was on life support, and twin spongy, honeycombed sacks that expanded and contracted in regular intervals.

In a heartbeat, the alien manifestation slithered towards Sayaka before the ghost could react. Although it lacked a mouth, it whispered in the little girl's mind, "We're very much alike," before swallowing her whole by engulfing her with its folds of guts, skin, and meat.

Without thinking, Keiko flew straight at the pink, red, and slimy eyesore, intent on somehow plucking Sayaka's soul from the depths of its honeycombed abyss.

The wheezing sounds from the grotesque, sentient meat bag grew louder, and even though the Yukimura spirit's breaths were more of a reflex action than a necessity, she felt herself gasping for air she didn't need to breathe anyway.

The wall facing right at the yard of the mansion burst open right then and there before the slimy collection of what appeared to be viscera feasted upon Keiko's ghost.

A gush of fresh air entered the abode from the hole in the wall, which made Shiori, her parents, and Shota stir from their restless slumber, the vacuum created by the monster dissipating as the surge of oxygen filled their lungs and ruffled their hair.

Meanwhile, the slimy mass of blubber and flesh reeled from a world-stopping punch from one pissed-off Yusuke Urameshi. In turn, Keiko felt like an entire planet was lifted off of her shoulders as soon as she saw her boyfriend barrel into the scene.

"Yusuke! Great timing! Sayaka-chan was swallowed by that thing and it even tried to kill Shota, Shiori, and her parents by sucking out all the air inside the room!"

The high-pitched hisses and pants from the fleshy, meaty creature worsened as it again slithered across the room, aided by a green mucus that lubricated its sluggish locomotion.

"Keiko! Get these people out of here while I finish off this demon or whatever!" instructed Yusuke as he let his fists fly at what he presumed was a youkai of some sort. However, the spongy and moist material of the ballooning twin meat sacks that served as its main body absorbed the majority of his blows regardless of his Class-A strength.

'H-How am I supposed to do that? I'm a ghost! They can't see me!' wondered Keiko before she spotted Puu hovering towards her. 'I know!'

'Sorry, Keiko. This poltergeist is too much for you. We'll deal with improving your bad karma later, I promise,' Yusuke pledged as he piled on the punishment and combination attacks against his foe.

The ghost-hunting mission was supposed to be a piece of cake, but it turned out so tough that even his old ghostly self would've had a tough time dealing with it.

"Spit her out! Spit Sayaka out, you oversized meat sack! HYAKU RETSU-KEN!" raged Urameshi.

A dazed, bloody, and blurry-eyed Shota looked up in time to see the ramen vendor that Shiori called a pedophile earlier deliver an uppercut at the air-sucking ogre.

A flash of insight hit him right that instant as the image of the "bad guy" that almost took his dead dog Jiro away to Hell a few years back superimposed itself onto the seventeen-year-old fighter that saved their lives just now.

'It's him! It's the same guy!' A hazier memory of the teenager saving Shota from the clutches of a beautiful girl of about his age also emerged from the depths of his consciousness. "Mister, we've met before! Who the hell are you?"

In the middle of releasing another volley of fists at the living, sentient flesh bag, Yusuke turned his head sideways and remarked, "I guess you can call me your guardian angel, kid."

Shota nodded at the familiar stranger before gritting his teeth, crawling towards the prone form of Shiori, and shaking her awake. "W-We need to get out of h-here, Shiori-chan. You're not safe here."

Shiori's eyes fluttered as she smiled. "Thank you. You're always there for me, Shota-kun." She took several breaths of air. Where's Papa? Where's Mama?"

"Over here, you two!" squawked a voice from above. "It's not safe in here!"

"AH! The flying penguin platypus is talking!" Shiori pointed at the ceiling where Puu flew about, and even Shota couldn't help but gawk at the sight even after all the _other_ bizarre things he'd experienced (and remembered) so far.

'Oh no, she didn't,' Yusuke told himself as he wrestled around with the undead meat sponge while keeping the fight away from the civilians. Puu talked to the children again, and the teenager recognized who the voice belonged to. 'She totally did, that idiot. Keiko possessed Puu, just like Genkai-baasan did in the Dark Martial Arts Tournament!'

"I have no time to explain. If you all want to live, we should get out of this mansion. Let me guide the way to safety. By the way, here are your parents, Shiori-chan! They're perfectly safe!" Puu... or rather Keiko... explained the situation to the two preteens.

"I don't know what's going on, but this nice... talking bluebird helped us come to," said Shiori's mother as she dusted herself off and favored her sore ribs.

"PAPA! MAMA!" a tearful Shiori stumbled and fell into her sobbing parents' waiting arms. "I'm sorry I've said those awful, awful things to you!"

"Papa is sorry too, Shiori-chan!" Shiori's father assured. "I was only looking out for you. Always remember, no parent would ever want something bad happen to his or her own child!"

For a minute or so, the spongy, meaty colossus that ballooned and shrunk like a beating heart stayed stock-still, its pinkish mass leaning against the struggling Urameshi.

'Huh. Why did it stop its rampage?' pondered Yusuke before an ear-shattering screech assailed his ear drums and a flood of green sludge engulfed him.

"What the hell is this? Snot? It's disgusting!" complained Urameshi.

The color from the faces of Shiori's parents drained as they heard a tiny voice in their head say the word, "Traitors."

"We don't have much time! Follow me!" insisted the Keiko-possessed Puu to Shota, Shiori, and her family while the creature behind them continued to expectorate the sticky substance that the unprepared Yusuke slipped on. 'Is... Is the monster... crying...?'

"This is the grossest opponent I've ever fought... including that guy who hid underneath a fog of his own sweat!"

The more the monster hacked, rasped, and violently released the bubbly liquid from its insides, the more the gel changed color. Soon, the pale substance turned light to dark yellow, green, brown, and grey as the creature sucked in more of the remaining air within its vicinity, dirt and irritants included.

"Ah, isn't that the pedo... I mean, the ramen cook?" a bleary-eyed Shiori asked no one in particular as she spotted Yusuke fighting the beast and rode piggyback on her father's shoulders.

"That's it, now you're pissing me off! REI...!"

The meaty monster distended its body many times its original size by inhaling every last wisp of air it could gorge itself with, went airborne using a jet stream of exhaled air, and landed smack dab on Yusuke with a force that created a crater on the floor.

"BIG BROTHER!" screamed Shota, wincing at the wet squelch and flying bits of crushed plaster.

"YUSUKE!" squealed Keiko using Puu's limited vocal cords in spite of herself.

"Father, use the car phone and call the police or the SAT or the JSDF! Maybe even call an exorcist! Call anyone that can deal with that horrible thing inside our house!" beckoned Shiori's mother.

"No. We shouldn't panic. Don't worry," the feminine-sounding Puu assured everyone as they exited the house and looked at the scene of destruction from a distance. "Yusuke is a powerful young man. Something like that..."

As if on cue, the monster flipped over its back (or whatever served as its back) care off a simple backhand from Keiko's Class-A half-demon boyfriend.

"...Isn't enough to kill him." However, despite her bold declaration, a nagging feeling continued to haunt the back of Yukimura's mind.

* * *

'Thanks, Keiko. Now I won't have to hold back.'

Once "Puu" had ushered away all the innocent bystanders, Yusuke flipped the gigantic yet abstract organism over like a hamburger patty with one hand.

"You know what's sad? I'm still kind of holding back. But if you had fought me two to three years ago, I might've had trouble dealing with you. You're tough."

The honeycombed sponge monster shrunk in size as it expelled a dank gas that filled the room despite the hole in the wall Yusuke made to "ventilate" it.

"You have to do better than that. I've survived the poisonous atmosphere of the Demon World without suffocating. You'll have to suck up all the air in the neighborhood or put me in an airtight vacuum pack before I'll be in any sort of trouble breathing."

The monster gurgled and spat green and brown slime from its tubular orifices. Nevertheless, before it had a chance to engulf Yusuke with its bodily fluids, the ex-Reikai Tantei had already charged, his fists this time around glowing with the electric power of his spiritual might.

Of course, the monster was no match against Yusuke. It was a foregone conclusion. It buckled down and crumpled like a sheet of paper after only the first combo. Every punch landed and exploded onto the ogre's skin, frying its exposed curtains of flesh as it wailed and wheezed in agony. If it had teeth, it would've gnashed them. If it had eyes, it would've cried.

It was as Urameshi expected. The beast went down so fast and easily, the teenager flinched and offered a silent prayer for its future spiritual wellbeing. Too easy. 'Hey, hey. Aren't I the one who's looking like the bad guy here? Ah, never mind. That damn Kugai Rando gave me must be acting up again.'

He thrust his pointer finger at the shrunken and shriveled form of the sponge-like organism. 'Sayaka's somewhere in there. I have to be careful how and where I aim my Rei-Gan.' The mucus that the expandable meat sack creature released had strands of red on them. At that point, the fiend sweated phlegm and blood. All it took was one shot to finish it off.

"WHY DID YOU BETRAY ME? WHY DIDN'T YOU LOVE ME?"

The Kugai worked its Buddhist magic on Yusuke once again as he became one with the suffering of the world, or at least those nearest to him. In the space of time it took a person to gasp and sigh, he felt the overpowering, suffocating reason why this mutated ghost (of a human, not a demon) remained earthbound and couldn't rest in peace.

The wave of choleric spiritual energy at the tip of Yusuke's index finger dissipated as an unbidden moistness invaded his vision. 'You poor thing...'

This time around, instead of sucking the air around them, the blob of spongy flesh enveloped the Spirit World Detective, stuck its tubes into his mouth, and used them like straws to suck out the air inside of him.

* * *

The Keiko-possessed Puu, Shota, Shiori, and the rest of the rich little girl's family were sprinting towards the lengthy yard when the airborne spirit beast yelped and flopped down on the grassy ground.

"H-Hey! Are you okay?" Keiko heard someone say; she didn't know who exactly did so, her vision swimming for some reason. 'W-Wait, didn't Botan mention something about Puu being able to feel the exact same things as Yusuke does because of their special bond?'

The spirit of the comatose Yukimura daughter beckoned the plush and diminutive Puu to stand upright using its stubby legs and its gigantic bunny ears. 'Yusuke, what's going on with you?'

'Keiko? Keiko, is that you?'

Keiko blinked several times using the bird monster's round eyes. 'Yusuke?' Apparently, telepathy was possible between the half-demon and his other, cuddlier self.

'Yeah, it's me.' After a second of silence, Yusuke admitted, 'Listen, I can't blast that poltergeist away.'

'Why not? Is it because it swallowed Sayaka-chan whole?'

'N-No. That poltergeist is their... that girl's...' Yusuke then screamed inside his head.

Keiko's blood ran cold. Or perhaps Puu's blood did. "YUSUKE! What in the world...?"

The next thing Yukimura knew, Puu's small beak, stubby wings, and entire bowling pin body changed, the spirit beast transforming into a much slenderer and larger version of itself. The beastly bird had again taken on the form of the immortal phoenix.

"N-No way," crowed Keiko as she raised Puu's impressive wings over his face and craned his swan-like neck low. 'Why did Puu transform into his big bird form now of all times...? Oh no, Shiori-chan and her family are totally freaking out! They probably think I'm in cahoots with the other monster and I'm about to eat them!'

As Keiko suspected, Shiori's father ushered his daughter and wife into their black limousine while fetching a handgun and pointing it at the transformed Puu for good measure.

"You got us out here so that you can eat us up, didn't you? I WON'T LET THAT HAPPEN! I WON'T LET ANOTHER DAUGHTER OF MINE DIE BEFORE ME!"

To everyone's shock, most of all Keiko's, Shota shielded the blue firebird despite his already worn and bloodied self. "Get out of the way, kid, you'll get...!"

"Don't hurt Big Brother's pet! I trust that man who saved us earlier with my whole heart. He's the one who saved my life way before all this happened. He's just trying to help!"

'Shota-kun...' trailed off Keiko before her mind raced in order to make sense of what was going on. 'Let's see. If Puu transformed into a phoenix, then that must mean Yusuke has transformed too. But how is that possible? Aren't the Spirit Cuffs supposed to hinder his strength?'

While the standoff between Shiori's father and Shota continued, Shiori got out of the car and breathlessly stood beside her childhood friend. "If Shota-kun trusts that ramen cook and his talking pet, then so will I."

Something else occurred to Keiko. 'Oh wait, that Kugai thing that the pasty kabuki demon used against Yusuke is still in effect. He must've emphatically felt a strong emotion that affected his energy levels and self-control. I'm no expert when it comes to spirit energy, but I saw the same thing happen with Yusuke's fight against... Rando. Yeah, Rando was his name.'

'YUSUKE! Yusuke, can you hear me?' beckoned Yukimura telepathically, but she heard no answer. She only felt pain and a sense of... 'Betrayal? By whom?'

She concentrated hard on Puu's bond with Urameshi, letting the flow of emotions from the World of Suffering's karmic ability to absorb others' pain wash over her.

Had her ghost form possessed lungs, they would've shriveled up and collapsed. Had her spirit owned a functioning heart, it would've exploded into giblets.

They'd been gone for so long that she'd forgotten their faces. When will they come back? They promised they would be there for her, right?

She didn't want to die. She wanted to live.

Why didn't they ever come back for her? Why did they lie? Why was she replaced? Why was her replacement such a brat? She couldn't take it anymore. She tried to be a good girl, but she had about enough.

With tears in Puu's eyes, Keiko gently pushed the two children who were shielding her aside and addressed the understandably concerned parents before her.

"Please, come back with me to the house," she spoke as clearly as she could using the spirit beast's beak and tongue.

"I knew it! It's in league with that monster. It wants us to go back there to be eaten or murdered by her comrade!" ranted Shiori's Papa.

Keiko stifled a sob. "That's no monster. That's actually your...!"

* * *

"I don't want to hurt you anymore," a tattooed and long-haired Yusuke said after recovering from retching out the tubes and tentacles that the monster... no, the earthbound ghost... inserted into his esophagus in order to suck the air and life out of him.

"Please. For your own sake. Stop this." He bit his lower lip until he drew blood, his teeth tearing deep into the soft tissue. The monster didn't listen. Or rather, it couldn't. The only thing driving its movement, its existence, was the pain it suffered before it died. Before she died.

The half-demon stood stock-still, his muscles aching from the effort of holding back the ocean of energy flowing underneath his skin, the quadruple spirit cuffs he and Genkai made to keep his power levels in check biting right through his bones. In place of his heart, the Spirit Light Wave Gem pulsed and palpitated in his chest, demanding release.

Regardless, like the Class-S Sensui, the mere act of laughing or breathing would be enough to tear the mansion apart. If he really exerted himself, he could probably break a continent in half. It was only a matter of time, though. Yusuke knew that if he held his power back any longer, he'd be on the rampage like "she" was. 'Dammit, what am I supposed to do now?'

He raised his pointer finger at the inflated bag of flesh, a familiar whistling sound echoing in his ears as his digit grew warmer and warmer.

The twin bags of spongy pink meat gorged itself with even more air from within and outside the mansion, which made it swell and distend even further. It used its hefty mass to crush Yusuke in a sea of flesh, but nothing it did posed any danger to the half-demon that didn't want to kill it.

Just as he was about to do make his toughest choice since deciding to kill Doctor Kamiya for the greater good, Yusuke's luck saved him in the nick of time... and not a moment too soon; he had enough stored energy to blow up the moon at that point.

Right by the hole Yusuke made earlier hovered a gigantic Puu and his four passengers: Shota, Shiori, and her parents. 'Puu? No, Keiko? That moron! What the hell is she thinking, putting those people in danger again?'

Yusuke cursed under his breath, knowing that once he released his spirit energy, it'd cause property _and_ collateral damage from within a wide radius, even if it was in the form of a concentrated beam of light.

"AKEMI! AKEMI! You're Akemi, aren't you?" Shiori's Papa beckoned, which made Yusuke choke in his spit and compelled the monster who smothered him to stop moving.

'No way,' Yusuke thought. 'Did Keiko read my mind through Puu? What is she planning?'

"We're so sorry we weren't able to be there for you in your final moments! Because it had something to do with your asthma, your mother and I thought that the medicine we bought for you was enough to take care of it!" shouted the father.

"We were so stupid. You must've been lonely lying there in the hospital, breathing your last breaths with Papa and Mama nowhere to be found. It all happened so fast..." sobbed the mother.

Yusuke clutched his chest as he felt the monster's... Akemi's... inferno of hatred burst forth. 'No, no! This is a bad idea. Akemi is now a ball of pure rage! Admitting to her that you abandoned her, even if you're apologizing, will...!'

As Yusuke predicted, the enraged Akemi flung its tentacles at her parents, lashing out like a child would against something it didn't understand. The Keiko-possessed Puu moved back to avoid the vine-like tubes, but Shiori's parents actually leapt towards them.

"PAPA! MAMA!" Shiori screamed after them as they were tied up by their limbs and hung in the air like marionettes.

'Looks like I have no choice.' With one swift movement, Yusuke released himself from the spongy mass in a spectacular explosion of blood, guts, and bodily fluids.

"Akemi! Forgive me! I didn't want things to end up like this, but I won't let you turn into a murderer! Please find a way to forgive your parents and go back to Heaven!"

"NO! Please don't hurt our daughter!" beseeched the tentacle-bound father as Urameshi forced himself to stop his S-Level punch from hitting Akemi, even at the cost of nearly tearing apart his biceps, triceps, and whatever else arm muscles he had.

"We've made her suffer enough. Let her be. It's better this way," chimed in the mother as she held her daughter's tentacles with tears in her eyes. "I didn't realize it earlier, but she told me through telepathy that she wanted to be together with me and her father."

"Please forgive them, Oneechan! You were angry with me too when you suddenly possessed my doll, right? You were probably jealous of all the attention they gave me," Shiori cried out while she held Shota's hand for support.

"I didn't understand it back then either, but I now know that Papa and Mama were looking out for me because they don't want to me to end up like you! They've learned their lesson! I was being a had girl, but everything they did for me was all because of what happened to you!"

Shiori's tears wouldn't stop at that point and neither would Puu's tears as his eyes cried for Keiko's sake. "I don't deserve the amount of love and protection they gave me. If you have to sacrifice someone, sacrifice me instead, Akemi-neechan...!"

A stray tentacle grabbed hold of Shiori and flung her towards the monstrous Akemi before Keiko could notice what had happened. 'Did I make the right decision? I don't want this entire family to die because of my wrong choices!'

Yusuke grabbed hold of his sore arm as Akemi's inflatable flesh sacks burst forth with continuous sprays of clear, salty liquid. It... or rather, her... pulled her estranged family towards herself by the time the Keiko-possessed Puu and Shota landed inside the room.

Afterwards, the spongy material and the multiple folds of pink flesh and meat receded and shrunk back until the ectoplasm-ridden, ten-year-old forms of a girl in a hospital gown and another girl in pajamas appeared before everyone.

Tragically, only Yusuke, Keiko, and Puu could see the ghosts. For all Shota and the others knew, the monster had disappeared altogether; the only people they could actually see were Urameshi and his pet bird.

"See? You found a way to forgive them after all," a misty-eyed yet smiling Sayaka told the shorter girl. "I'm only a trainee, but I'm allowed to assist ferry-girls in ferrying souls back to Heaven. You have the honor of being the first soul I'll ever ferry into the afterlife."

"C-Can you l-let me say goodbye f-first?" came the tentative, breathy request of the lonely, asthmatic girl. Sayaka nodded.

Keiko left Puu's body as Yusuke and his spirit beast transformed back into their relatively normal forms.

"Where is Akemi now? Is she in Heaven?" asked Shiori's father as he grabbed hold of Yusuke.

"I-I'm right here, Papa. Mama. Shi-Shiori," said the Akemi-possessed Puu.

* * *

**To Be Continued...**

_Next: Keiko's second mission._

_May kailangan pa ba akong sabihin?_**_  
_****Abdiel**


	30. Chapter 29

Genkai sipped her tea in the darkness of her empty, devastated property. Rebuilding the temple and her humble abode wasn't even halfway done, so there was no electricity yet (although the plumbing and water facilities were already up and running). She also didn't want to waste any candles since she was about to sleep anyway.

She'd just paid her workers from both the Demon World and the Human World their wages for the first two weeks. After they'd left, she was the only human being left in the middle of an empty, barely finished shrine, the sawdust and debris dancing in the moonlight before her eyes.

Even Puu himself decided to come with Yusuke and the others to help bring Keiko out of her coma. The elderly grandmother wasn't totally alone though, as evidenced by the howls, chirps, bleats, and squawks of the creatures of the night from different realms seeking refuge within her vast property.

"You were _supposed_ to give out your will and testament to Urameshi Yusuke and his crew two weeks from now," a trench-coat-wearing, sunglasses-donning ghost from Genkai's past pointed out to her. "It's almost been a month since you saw the 'Harbinger of Death' Star. Can you still see it now?"

"...No. The Star of Death has vanished. I cannot see it any longer," Genkai confessed. The one luminous star right beside the Big Dipper's seven stars she'd seen only twice in her (extended) lifetime had disappeared as though it never existed.

It probably never did either, as any astronomer worth his or her salt would attest to. Anyone who saw it was cursed to die within a month's time unless it happened to disappear altogether.

"I'm guessing that Koenma Daio is doing his best to keep me around in light of this newest threat, just like what happened when Sensui Shinobu decided to make his move."

"And how fair is that? You died, as all old people should, and Koenma forced you to live on because he needed you. On the other hand, Yukimura Keiko is in a coma and he couldn't lift a finger to help her."

Genkai nodded. "No, it's not fair at all. I agree. However, our circumstances have changed. The fleeting promise of peace that Yusuke and the others have worked so hard to attain is being threatened once more. They need me, so I will live on. That's all there is to it."

Had this Chojin business not reared its ugly head, Genkai would've looked forward to dying peacefully in her sleep with no worries or regrets. Her estate had already been divided among Yusuke and his friends. She'd taken care of the paperwork even before Urameshi put his hands on the Demon Sword.

"Can you really trust a so-called God of the Dead who decides who should live and who should die according to his whims or how useful a given soul is to him?" asked the tall, lanky man with dark shades and a military-style haircut in Genkai's mind's eye.

"What do you mean?"

"Koenma let a young girl who still has her whole life ahead of her go into a wild goose chase just to regain the right to live while he allowed you... an old, decrepit woman... to continue living at the drop of a hat because you proved more useful to him than Urameshi Yusuke's girlfriend."

"That's enough. I trust that man and his decisions. Koenma Daio is nothing like his wicked father, Enma Daio."

The man turned his back on Genkai, his hands in his trouser pockets before he faded into the shadows. "I have to wonder about that..."

* * *

**Demon Sword**

A Yuyu Hakusho/Rurouni Kenshin Crossover Fan Fiction by Chester Castañeda

Original Concept by Chad Yang

Let's explore the lives of the supporting characters, shall we?

_Disclaimer: Yuyu Hakusho is the rightful property of Yoshihiro Togashi, Shueisha, Fuji TV, and St. Pierrot. Rurouni Kenshin is the rightful property of Nobuhiro Watsuki, Shueisha, Shonen Jump, Viz, Sony Studios, Fuji TV, Studio Gallup, Studio Deen, and ADV. This disclaimer also covers all the other copyrighted material that are far too many to mention here. Don't sue me please, I'm very poor._

* * *

**Chapter 29: Homework Never Ends (Part 4)**

* * *

_About three weeks after the attack at Genkai's temple, in the afternoon... _

"That first mission Keiko-neechan got was... unexpectedly difficult, don't you think?" was Sayaka's understatement of the day. "I'm so sorry, Big Sis. Next time, I'll find something a lot less dangerous for you to do."

Keiko let out a weak chuckle. "I've heard enough apologies from you to last me a lifetime, Sayaka-chan. It's quite all right." Yukimura rubbed the top of the ferry-girl trainee's head.

"I don't regret taking that case. Thanks to what happened, Shota-kun isn't banned from seeing Shiori-chan anymore, and they're still going to go to Sarayashiki Junior High together. Shiori-chan and her parents now understand each other better. Akemi was even able to rest in peace to boot. All's well that ends well."

After the shy Akemi made amends with her parents and the sister she never met, the ferry-girl assistant contacted one of Reikai's many shinigami and got Hinageshi... the death goddess who helped Yusuke and company to deal with the threat of the Nether World... to guide the lost soul back to her ancestors.

"Shota-kun grew up so fast," Sayaka murmured, her eyes bright and wide as she remembered how the young lad filled in the police report for the incident until he fainted from all the blood he lost earlier. Nobody realized how hurt he was until then.

She picked up a compact mirror from inside her pajamas... the only kind of mirror that could reflect the images of ghosts... and stared at her youthful face. Keiko in turn let her rest her head on her shoulder.

"What's it like to grow up, Big Sis?" the death goddess trainee asked, and Keiko Yukimura's astral projection replied, "I don't know. I haven't grown up all that much either."

Clueless of the pair's conversation, Yusuke said, "The best part of the whole thing is that I didn't have to pay for the wall I broke down or the bodyguards I beat up," while rubbing his nose. Puu, like a pirate's parrot, squawked his own name and nibbled at Urameshi's ear.

"THAT'S NOT SOMETHING TO BE THANKFUL FOR, YOU CRIMINAL SCUM!" raged Keiko as she grabbed hold of Yusuke's spine and made it tingle with her ghostly touch. Normally, she'd just slap the insensitive brute, but seeing her current condition, this was the best course of action for her.

Yusuke shivered then winced and favored his sore right arm that he earlier stopped in mid-punch.

"Whoops. My bad. I got carried away there. Does your arm still hurt?" asked Keiko as her eyebrows creased together and her pupils widened.

"It's no big deal. I've gone through worse," assured her boyfriend. Even though Urameshi was able to live through a broken arm care of Sensui or, much worse, dying twice, that didn't mean he was made out of steel or something.

"Y'know, it kind of bothered me how a poltergeist who was doing harmless pranks on her kid sister turned into a monster. Something fishy is going on," said Yusuke, changing the subject.

"I have no idea what happened either, Big Bro, but I'm glad Akemi was able to rest in peace and forgive her parents and her little sister. The way their voices was able to reach her broken heart underneath all that hatred and resentment really touched me!"

Sayaka sniffled, and Keiko quickly grabbed hold of the girl in an embrace as they floated back to the hospital where her comatose body lay. "I wish I had a family like that."

"I think we're off to a good start with all this mission business, but for now, I say we deserve to rest," said Keiko.

* * *

It was already evening when the quartet of two ghosts, a half-demon, and a spirit beast arrived at the hospital and entered the comatose Keiko's room at the intensive care unit.

"What's the matter, Yusuke?" asked Keiko as Urameshi stared at the ceiling, the air conditioner, and the ventilation shaft.

He shook his head. "It's nothing. Probably my imagination."

The first one to reach Keiko's unmoving form in the ICU was Puu. The pet mascot of the Urameshi Team snuggled tightly underneath the armpit of the despondent Yukimura, savoring her warmth. It was Yusuke's turn to look after Keiko that evening.

Keiko smiled and chuckled, remembering the penguin-like bird's constant frustration whenever he passed through her as he attempted to hug her astral projection. "Wah! He looks just like a stuffed toy! How adorable!"

"I think he looks more like a pillow than a stuffed toy. Stuff him in a pillowcase," quipped Yusuke while shielding himself from Sayaka's harmless fists of fury and shouts of "Meanie! Don't make fun of Puu-chan!"

Keiko pretended to look away as Yusuke stole a kiss from her tangible form's lips while fluffing up her pillows.

'It's been tough on you too, huh?' she thought as she touched her ghostly body's lips and smiled wanly. She stared at her other self.

'I hope these missions are worth it. I want to kiss him for real, while I'm awake... and using my own lips.'

"Do you think you've gotten your sponge bath from the nurse yet...?" Yusuke ate a mouthful of pillow for asking that.

"There's a child in here, Yusuke! Don't act so perverted," rebuffed a glowing-faced Keiko.

"Who's being perverted? What do you have against bathing, Keiko?" retorted Yusuke.

"Don't patronize me! And don't lay a hand on my body until I can get it back, you hear?" was Keiko's ultimatum.

"Sure, sure," Yusuke "reassured" with a hand wave.

Keiko blinked. Since when did she become so sure that she'd survive her coma and come back normal? Truth be told, she still wasn't all that confident about _ anything_ regarding these missions. Nevertheless, she felt like she had no right to complain about her circumstances after seeing what Akemi went through.

Akemi didn't want to die. She wanted to live. Even though she was an earthbound ghost and it was already too late for her, her will to live remained strong. What right did Keiko have to give up on her life when someone who was worse off than her never did?

Before Keiko knew it, she had turned her back on Yusuke, and when her flustered boyfriend asked her if she was mad, she waved him off, assuring him that, "I'm not mad. I'm just thinking about... stuff."

With a big, toothy smile, she faced towards her assigned Spirit Guide... who was busy playing with Puu's floppy ears, raising them up like rabbit ears... and requested, "Sayaka-chan, do you have a moment? I need to talk to you in private."

* * *

Keiko requested at the corridor just outside the room where her comatose body lay, "Sayaka-chan, tell me about the Elysian Fields."

Sayaka pouted, put a finger on her chin, and stared into the horizon. What was this all about? "Oh, the Elysian Fields? You somehow ended up there after taking the middle fork of the Sanzu no Kawa, right? What about it?"

"Well, correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't shinigami required to forget their sins as well as their past before they can become shinigami? At least, that's the impression I got from Botan," Keiko probed.

Sayaka twiddled her thumbs and stared at her floating feet. "I chose not to go to purgatory."

Keiko floated around her fellow specter. "Y-You can do that?" She then remembered Ayame... the shinigami who was tasked to bring her to the River Styx's first fork... saying that the reason Keiko was able to go to the middle fork was because of her spirit's own incredible willpower. Perhaps the same could be said of Sayaka?

Sayaka bopped her head. "Then again, if I didn't have friends in high places like Botan-neechan and Yusuke-niichan, then I would've ended up in purgatory anyway."

Keiko fell through floor... literally, since she was a ghost that could move through walls. 'Hehehe. I guess Sayaka-chan is a bit more pragmatic than I am. Friends in high places, huh?'

After she returned to where Sayaka floated, the smaller girl asked with a tilted head and swaying hips, "Did I say something wrong, Big Sis?"

"No, of course not." Keiko patted the ghostly shinigami-in-training's shoulders. "So why didn't you want to forget? Pardon me for asking, but wasn't it painful for you to die alone? Don't you feel guilty about almost damning Shota-kun with you to limbo? Isn't it dangerous for a spirit like you to be left with all those issues and bad karma?"

"You know what? Koenma-sama asked me the same thing." Sayaka shrugged and flipped her long, waist-length black hair.

"I don't care. I don't want to forget my parents, my sickness, my death, Shota-kun, Botan-neechan, and Yusuke-niichan at all. Those memories are precious to me, and they make up who I am right now. I want to make new memories with you, Keiko-neechan, with my old memories intact, even if I have to suffer because of it."

Come to think of it, after the hideous onryo version of Akemi tossed Shota to the display case of dolls like a... well, rag doll, didn't Sayaka revert to her more powerful poltergeist form because of her anger and the negative feelings brought about by memories she didn't want to forget?

'Even at the risk of becoming an earthbound ghost again, she doesn't want to forget a single thing,' Keiko concluded. To Sayaka, she said, "You ask me what it's like to grow up, but in the end, you've grown into a fine young woman without even realizing it."

"Liar. I haven't grown at all," said Sayaka as she cupped her flat chest and pouted. It took all of Keiko's self-control to not fall through the floor a second time.

The astral projection chuckled before her mood mellowed down altogether as an idea occurred to her. Had Sayaka opted for reincarnation, she would've had a second chance at experiencing a happier childhood, growing up, falling in love, or becoming an adult. "Why did you choose to become a ferry-girl anyway?"

Sayaka beamed. "I want to be like Botan-neechan or Yusuke-niichan when he was still a ghost! I want to help earthbound ghosts rest in peace. I want to make them realize that death isn't as scary as they thought, and it could lead to a new beginning!"

"Good answer. You get five gold star stickers!"

"Jeez, you're making fun of me, Big Sis!"

After the two ghost girls recovered from their giggling fits, Sayaka showed her schedule on her clipboard to Keiko. "Well, I have to go now and submit my progress report to the Spirit World. I'll contact you and Niichan as soon as I'm done with all the paperwork, Neechan."

"I'm looking forward to tomorrow. Come back soon, Sayaka-chan!" Minutes after Keiko waved goodbye at the departing shinigami trainee, she quaked and shuddered as she heard the unmistakable peal of a feminine scream right inside the room where her body lay. "What in the world...?"

* * *

"STAY BACK! Stay away from Keiko-chan, you sponge-bathing, stalker pervert! I won't let you soil her purity with your lecherousness!"

"Where the hell did you come from, you crazy bitch?" Yusuke yelped while deftly avoiding every attack the short-haired girl threw at him.

"AH! Natsuki-chan?" exclaimed Keiko after realizing who it was that screamed at Yusuke at that ungodly hour. What was her old friend from junior high doing there?

Of course, because she was a ghost (an astral projection, to be exact), her bowl-cut, (usually) bespectacled friend couldn't hear her. 'Hey, what happened to her glasses?'

"Who's Natsuki?" Yusuke asked the ghost beside him, which in the friend-in-question's eyes made him look even more disturbing and scary because she couldn't see Keiko at all.

"She's my friend back in junior high! Remember? She and another friend of mine hung out with me all the time."

"Oh yeah. They were always scared stiff of me when I was around you. Which one was she again?"

"She's the one with glasses."

"She doesn't have glasses."

"Well, not right _now_, but she usually does."

"Oh wait, now I remember her."

Because in her point of view, Yusuke was having a one-sided conversation with the slightly ajar door, Natsuki (not to be confused with Natsuki Shinkai from Shinjuku Yamabuki High) backpedaled towards the windows at the back of the room and grabbed the nearest object she could lay her hands on. "STAND BACK! I have a vase and I'm not afraid to use it!"

"..." said Yusuke while the not-bespectacled friend of Keiko held a hospital flower vase in front of her like a shield, shaking like a leaf all the while.

The spirit form of Yukimura giggled from behind Urameshi. Even after three years had passed, her friends were still petrified by her boyfriend. On the other hand, knowing what she knew, they had even more reason to be frightened of the Half-Demon Mazoku Prince of the Demon World.

"How about throwing that vase at me instead of thrusting it at my face like a gift? I'd hate to see you do the same thing to a real cat burglar or mugger," was the helpful suggestion that Urameshi imparted to Yukimura's friend.

"What do you know? I'll do everything to protect Keiko-chan's... um... honor! And mine as well!"

"..._Honor_? Are you serious?" asked Yusuke with an arched eyebrow while scratching the side of his face.

"YES!" affirmed the girl as she threw the vase as hard as she could at Yusuke. She deflated upon seeing him catch it.

Urameshi smirked. "Y'know, it's kind of a little late for that... OW!" He flinched as the vase in his hand "floated by itself" and crashed right on his noggin. "I was only telling the truth, Keiko!"

"THAT'S ON A NEED-TO-KNOW BASIS! SHE DIDN'T NEED TO KNOW, YOU TACTLESS IGNORAMUS!" scolded a brightly "blushing" Keiko, whose cheeks appeared more like luminescent pink light bulbs than red tomatoes due to her soul's lack of blood or veins to speak of.

"YOU ALREADY 'DID' HER? You _monster_! You're not supposed to do that to someone in a coma!" the mousy girl screeched as she (attempted to) tackle Yusuke, scratched him, and bit him all over his body while hurling insults of "psycho", "weirdo", "lecher", and "freak".

"Keiko! What am I supposed to do now?" demanded the great and powerful Urameshi, a finalist of the Demon World Unification Tournament and winner of the Black Martial Arts Tournament.

"I have no idea," responded Keiko in all honesty.

"STOP TALKING TO HER LIKE SHE'S AWAKE... Hic," Urameshi froze as Natsuki sat on top of his stomach and held her mouth with both her hands, her cheeks reddening in a way Keiko's astral projection couldn't.

She bounced up again as an abrupt rush of air into her lungs caused her vocal cords to close and her body to jerk from her constricting diaphragm.

"Hey, Keiko. What's going on? Is your friend drunk?" Yusuke stage-whispered to his girlfriend.

Keiko let out a long and loud exhale as her shoulders slowly slumped down although she had no lungs or carbon dioxide to breath out. "Natsuki-chan gets the hiccups every time she's excited or scared."

"Aw. How cute! She's wike a wittle puppy!" Yusuke grinned so wide, he exposed all of his teeth, from his incisors to his molars.

"DON'T... Hic! MAKE FUN OF... Hic! ME! Hic." Natsuki blinked back her tears as she crawled back to the wall facing opposite the doorway and hid her face behind a pillow.

* * *

_A little while later... _

"...Thank you," a now-bespectacled Natsuki murmured after drinking a bottle of water to cure her case of the hiccups. "I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions. I apologize. I didn't realize you meant that Keiko-chan and you have already..."

"N-No worries here!" The bite and scratch marks all over Yusuke's body healed just fine thanks to his demonic bloodline, but he remained unsure of what to make of the violent yet meek girl before him regardless. "If you hadn't lost your glasses underneath that bed, then maybe you would've recognized me and things would've happened differently. It can't be helped."

"Actually, the reason why I hid underneath Keiko-chan's bed in the first place was because I recognized your voice as you entered the room and I panicked," Natsuki confessed, which led Yusuke to reply with another pokerfaced, "..."

She continued. "I was going to leave as soon as you went out of the room, but then I started hearing you talk to Keiko-chan about giving her a sponge bath or something, and you kept speaking to her as though she can talk back when _ clearly_ she couldn't, so I freaked out and whacked you upside the head before you committed a crime on my friend, and even though it turned out to be a misunderstanding, the fact that you _still_ keep on talking to Keiko-chan under your breath when you think I'm not looking is making me have second thoughts about not calling the police on you," Natsuki relayed in one breath.

Urameshi bowed his head low and raised his hands up in surrender. "Okay, fine. Let's just forget about it. And I won't... pretend to talk to Keiko anymore. How does that sound?"

"Oh, I said too much again! Never mind what I said, you're free to talk to Keiko-chan whenever you want," assured Natsuki with flushed cheeks, her hands on her pleated skirt's hem and her knees rubbing against each other as she squirmed in her chair.

"Although it kind of creeps me out, the way you can't get Keiko-chan out of your mind is also sort of... sweet. And sad. Again, I apologize for being so tactless with my words."

"No, no, I don't mind," replied Yusuke with a flat, disinterested monotone that implied the opposite of what he said. Who would've thought that Keiko's nerdy friend was so... chatty? He could've sworn the other girl with twin ponytails was the blabbermouth of the trio.

Puu, who had hidden himself beneath the comatose Keiko's bedcovers after hearing Natsuki's scream, finally came out of hiding, his head poking out of one of the pillows. "Puu?"

"AH! I've never seen anything like that! What is it? Is it a toy? Is it alive? Was this your get-well-soon present for Keiko-chan?" inquired Natsuki as she plucked Puu out of his hiding place and commenced cuddling him.

"Um, not exactly. I guess you can consider Puu as our... pet?" Yusuke shrugged. He had no interest in covering for Puu after the _last_ time the creature was spotted and played with by "normal" people.

"You're a lot nicer than I expected, Urameshi-san. Neither me nor Hiromi ('Oh, so _that's_ the name of Keiko's other friend!' Yusuke thought,) believed Keiko when she said you're not as bad as the school rumors made you out to be. Although I'm kind of embarrassed for apologizing so much at this point, I have to say sorry for that as well!"

"Nah, it's no big deal. My bad reputation helped me get through junior high without a hitch. No one would dare mess with me." Yusuke winced as his mouth stretched from end to end for "some reason", which left Natsuki wondering how he did such a feat.

He blabbered something incomprehensible before his mouth returned to normal, which allowed him to speak clearly. "What I meant to say is that I'm glad you have a better impression of me," deadpanned Urameshi while rubbing his sore cheeks.

Natsuki chuckled before she turned her head to the side, her left hand on her face while her right hand continued to pet Puu's black mane and blue fur, her glasses obscured by the glare of the fluorescent lights.

"I wasn't able to talk much to Keiko-chan or Hiromi-chan ever since we graduated from Sarayashiki. It's such a shame that the one time I was able to visit, it's already too late for us to talk to each other!"

As Natsuki sniffled, she also giggled as Yusuke fumbled around for a tissue and advice to give her about her comatose friend. "How is it my fault she's crying? No, I won't stop talking to you! Didn't she say it's okay for me to talk to you? She's _your_ friend, help me do something about this!"

"Sorry. Oh my, I've said sorry too many times again." Natsuki took her glasses off and wiped her tears away with the tissue Urameshi gave her. "But that's how it is with us Japanese. We apologize for every little thing, huh?"

"If I said yes, will you stop crying? Ow, I can't believe you poked my eye!" exclaimed Yusuke at the ceiling, which made Natsuki chortle despite herself.

"Here I am crying when it's clear that you're the person who was most hurt by what happened to Keiko-chan. Were you anywhere near her when she collapsed and fell into a coma?" asked Natsuki as she let Puu nibble on her fingers.

Keiko collapsing due to "cardiac arrest" and "lack of oxygen to her brain" was the official cover story Koenma suggested to Yusuke and the others before bringing her to the hospital and telling her parents what happened to her. Because the Spirit World was full of experts on death, its denizens regularly researched the latest medical advances and the newest causes of death.

Yusuke clenched his fist until his knuckles turned white. "No. No, I wasn't."

"I-I'm so sorry. Ah... Sometimes I don't think before I speak."

'No shit.' The half-youkai could only nod as nearly every muscle in his body tensed. He then relaxed as he waved his hand and stroked the air lovingly, as though he were a maestro conducting an orchestra. To Natsuki's eyes, he was beyond bizarre. "Thanks, Keiko. I needed that."

"I wish I could talk to her. I have so much to tell her." Natsuki moved towards the sleeping form of her friend of three years and held her hand, taking care not to move or dislodge the catheter stuck in her arm.

"Keiko-chan, did you know that I'm hanging out with an upperclassman I really like these past few months? He might not be as strong, handsome, fit, or scary as your boyfriend, but he's really smart and I like him a lot. We have so many things in common. I regularly visit him at his house where we play the same games, read the same books, talk about the same things, and he even wears glasses like me!"

Yusuke stared at Natsuki with a blank expression on his face before saying, "If Keiko were here, she'd be really excited to hear that. She'd be jumping up and down, asking you details about how that happened because you were always so shy around boys. She'd also congratulate you."

This time around, Natsuki's whole body flushed a healthy pink. "Tell her it's too early for congratulations. I haven't confessed my feelings to him yet."

"Huh. Well, _I'd_ say that nerd better man up and confess his feelings to you before you do to him," said Yusuke with closed-eye nods and crossed arms.

"But I'm not even sure Sempai likes me that way! And he's not a nerd, he's just really smart!" protested Natsuki while holding her burning cheeks with her hands and wiggling around. "What should I do?"

"Jeez. All right, I'll tell her!" snapped Yusuke at the curtains. "Keiko says she'll cheer you on. Good luck and do your best. She and I agree that if you've been hanging out in his house so often, then you might as well confess your feelings now and avoid misunderstandings later. I personally think he's already head over heels in love with you if he lets you in his house, but that's just my opinion."

"Tell Keiko-chan that I said thank you," returned Natsuki while adjusting her glasses after it slipped at the bridge of her nose.

She then giggled as she told Yusuke, "Your girlfriend told me just now that back in middle school, she couldn't stop talking about you. Although Hiromi-chan and I couldn't care less because we didn't have boyfriends at the time, she would go on and on about you. She even confessed to us that she has had a crush on you since you were children, after that time when you fell in the water and got sick because of her!"

"Oh-ho. Did she now?" Yusuke's grin almost split his face, his eyes shaped like mischievous almonds. "She never told me that to my face. Ask her what she likes about me. Did she doodle my name or face on the back pages of her notebooks? Did she carve our names on a tree trunk? Inquiring minds need to know!"

For one reason or another, the room got cold to the point that it could double as a meat freezer. Natsuki shivered, hugging Puu tightly to her bosom. "The air conditioner must be broken, huh? Well anyway, Keiko-chan also says that the thing that attracted her to you the most was your..."

"NO!"

At that point, Puu attacked Natsuki, biting her neck-length hair and pecking her on the forehead. Yusuke had to grab hold of the penguin-shaped, floppy-eared spirit beast, who had left Keiko's bespectacled friend in a disheveled, startled mess. "S-Sorry. I don't know what came over him. Haha."

Because Yusuke couldn't leave well enough alone, he whispered to a dumbfounded Natsuki while turning Puu the other direction, his hands clamped over the strange creature's long ears, "Was it my penis?"

"I HEARD THAT, URAMESHI YUSUKE!" Puu shrieked in a girly voice as he bit Yusuke's thumb, flew away from his grasp, and then pecked at his eyes. "Why the hell would I be attracted to you because of _that_, you pervert? Swine! Pig! Sicko! What kind of a girl do you think I am?"

"Lighten up! It was a joke! I didn't mean it! Give me a break, Keiko!"

"...K-Keiko-chan? What?"

Yusuke and Puu... or rather, the Keiko-possessed Puu... froze in the middle of their slap fight (floppy ears versus human hands) after hearing Natsuki's probing question.

"D-Did that birdie just talk?" stuttered Natsuki, her face pale and bluish and her body shaking harder than a Chihuahua that just drank coffee (a poisonous substance to dogs). "More importantly, did that birdie just talk using Keiko-chan's voice?"

* * *

_Much, much later, after Yusuke's attempts to pass off Puu as a new penguin-parrot hybrid species that could mimic the voices of others failed spectacularly... _

"So let me get this straight... Keiko's _soul_ or astral projection or whatever possessed that birdie. Is that right or I'm way off?"

Simultaneous confirmations of, "Yeah, that's basically it," and "U-huh. You got it on your first try, Natsuki-chan," were provided by Yusuke and Keiko respectively.

"On that note, what exactly is Puu anyway?" questioned Natsuki further.

"One thing at the time, Natsuki-chan," the Keiko-possessed Puu told Natsuki, and her friend thankfully obliged her request. Obviously, they didn't bother telling the petite, talkative girl about the more "esoteric" aspects of Keiko's condition.

"S-So is Keiko-chan... dead?" Natsuki asked, holding her breath as she hugged Puu firmly and grabbed hold of the hand of Yukimura's comatose form at the same time.

"No. Not at all. You can hear the blips on the medical monitors, right?" Yusuke insisted with fervor. "She's still alive, it's just that she's having an... out-of-body experience right now, but we're working on getting her back into her body. She isn't dead, and she'll wake up soon enough!"

Natsuki put a hand on her chest and breathed out a sigh of relief. "I'm glad. The idea of Keiko being an earthbound ghost cursed to haunt this hospital for all eternity scared me for a bit." She saw the moist-eyed look Puu gave her. "N-Not that _that_ will happen to you, Keiko-chan! I'm sure you'll recover from your coma soon too!"

"It must've been shocking seeing definitive proof that ghosts and spirits really exist, huh?" said Keiko through Puu's beak as he used his lengthy ears to pat Natsuki's hand.

"Anyway, thank you for visiting. Don't worry too much about me, I'm in good hands. We'll definitely find a way for me to wake up and recover. Yusuke and... the others are doing their best, and so will I."

"I'm glad to hear that," Natsuki said as she stared at the window overlooking Tokyo City's tall buildings and bright lights. "I can't help but feel concerned about the fact that ghosts exists. Not that you're a real ghost or anything, but you know what I mean."

Keiko nodded Puu's head, even though the creature didn't have a neck to speak of. "You were always afraid of ghosts and the supernatural even when I first met you back in junior high. Even Hiromi couldn't help but tease you about it."

"If I were only speaking about my phobia of ghosts..." Natsuki rested her chin on the back of her hand as her eyes wandered into the blinking neon lights of the multicolored urban jungle of Japan's capital.

"Before I came to visit, I've heard that a ghost from my own past has returned. I wish she was only a figment of my imagination. I wish she's merely a manifestation of my guilt. But if do ghosts exist, then that means...!"

Yusuke suddenly got up from where he sat, his eyes sharp and focused, his body ready to spring into action. "I'm sorry for interrupting your story, Natsuki, but do you mind staying here with Keiko for the time being? I have some business to attend to."

"Huh? What's this about, Yusuke?" the Keiko inside Puu answered, but Yusuke wouldn't even look her way.

"Uh... No. Not at all. I guess I could stay over for about an hour or so. Our school break isn't over yet, and I'll be home alone for the time being. Do you want me to have a sleepover with Keiko-chan?"

"No, that's fine. I won't take long. If worse comes to worst, you can go ahead and leave anyway. Keiko is in good hands with the doctors." He cracked his knuckles while glaring at the ventilation shaft. "I'll be back soon."

"What's going on with Urameshi-san, Keiko-chan?" asked Natsuki as her eyebrows formed a steeple, her forehead creases became more prominent, and her lip shrunk into a small line of concern.

"I don't know, but I'm sure Yusuke can handle it. I trust him." Keiko did the nearest approximation of a shrug that Puu could muster. "Now what were you saying about ghosts from your past?"

* * *

Yusuke ran straight for the stairs, whizzing through one flight after another, looking over his shoulder from time to time as though to ensure that he was being followed. After he had ended up atop the hospital roof deck, he demanded, "Who the hell are you and what do you want with Keiko, you goddamn stalker?"

Within the shadows cast by the water tank behind Yusuke, a dark-clothed person with a decorative skull mask emerged and said, "It's unfortunate that we have to meet in such dire circumstances, but I believe that threatening the safety of your loved one is the fastest way to get your attention, Urameshi Yusuke."

"And you are?" snarled Yusuke as he glanced sideways at the shadowy stranger behind him.

"I'm an accomplice of the creature you've lured out into the open."

As if on cue, the person Yusuke called out earlier... the one that had been spying on him, Natsuki, Keiko, and Puu within the confines of the intensive care unit's ventilation shaft... burst forth from the concrete ground, the long, sharp claws of his left arm nearly slitting the half-demon's throat.

"Isn't it a little too early for Halloween, old man? What's up with this gimp of yours? I'm not into that stuff," Yusuke remarked as he grabbed hold of both claws of his attacker and wrestled with him, recoiling in disgust at the animalistic creature's slavering tongue, sharpened teeth, and a cloth mask that concealed half of his face. Eventually, Urameshi's superior strength allowed him to overpower the monster and bring him to his knees.

The skull-masked man laughed and clapped his hands. "Impressive! As expected of the descendant of Raizen. You've apprehended my associate with little to no trouble at all." He exposed himself to the moonlight, revealing his full form and getup: A medium-build ninja wearing an eighteenth-century puppeteer garb, slippers, and gloves, which made his mask look even more ridiculous than before.

"Are they in the middle of taping a special effects show for kids? I've seen more convincing villains from Kamen Rider."

"Let me introduce myself. My name is Edward Gein. I used to be linked with the person you know as Himura Kenshin in my past life, but at present, I'm now working for the being you know as the Chojin as part of his elite guard, the Shin Ju."

'Edward Gein? What's with his name? Is he a foreigner?' To Gein, Yusuke asked, "So? What do you want from me? Are you and your backstabbing crew of tokusatsu rejects planning another sneak attack here in the hospital like you did back in Genkai-baasan's property?"

"Nothing of the sort. I might as well get straight to the point. I know what happened to Yukimura Keiko. She's been cursed by Seiryu of the Saint Beasts, and she's now in a comatose state that neither modern medicine nor your employers from the Spirit World can fix. If you'd allow me, I know how she can be restored back to normal. I can bring her back to life."

* * *

Natsuki's eyes darted all over the place while she rubbed her nose. "Back when I was in elementary, Hiromi-chan and I belonged to different cliques although we went to the same class together for three years straight."

"Yeah, I knew about that." Keiko nodded Puu's head. "What about it?"

"I was friends with a girl... who was always depressed. Her parents were divorced, her nose was always buried in books, and she had no other friends in our school because she had just moved to Tokyo from Tohoku, so everyone thought of her as a country bumpkin."

Natsuki cleared her throat. "I'm a wallflower myself, so I considered her my comrade of sorts. She was my only friend for most of my final years in grade school, and so was I to her. We were so close, we were teased as a couple by the boys. It didn't help that I never really talked to any boys because of my shyness, but Suzuka-chan... that's her name... really took all that teasing hard."

"And then...?" Keiko prodded.

Natsuki tightly embraced her friend trapped inside a stuffed-toy-looking creature. "I'm horrible! Lower than dirt! I abandoned her during the time she needed me the most! I wanted so bad to make friends and change my image that I started neglecting her. I left her behind. That's why... That's why...!"

"Natsuki-chan?"

"That's why she killed herself before our grade school graduation ceremonies! I was her only friend, and I betrayed her! I outright distanced myself from her in the hope that I could get better friends and not be ostracized like she was!"

"That's... really terrible. I can see why you'd feel so guilt-ridden. But what does this have to do with ghosts? It's almost more than four years since we were in elementary. Why are you thinking about this now of all times?"

"I got several pages straight from Suzuka-chan's diary in the mail about a month ago. I know it's hers, because I immediately recognized the handwriting. It chronicled the point where we started drifting apart. It detailed every last sin I committed. I could only read it once; it made me sick to my stomach how I've made her suffer all this time without even realizing it."

"A-Are you sure it's Suzuka-chan's handwriting? It's been so long, and this could be a nasty prank from one of your old bullies..."

"No. There's more. I know it's true because Hiromi-chan got pages from Suzuka-chan's diary too. Everyone in our class that made fun of her, avoided her, and did practical jokes on her, she listed down on her diary. The scariest part here is that the bullies who made Suzuka-chan suffer the most started getting death threats and were being stalked by some unknown person who knew everything about them."

Keiko wiped the tears from Natsuki's eyes with Puu's floppy ears.

"Even though the police were involved, they considered the acts as nothing more than lowbrow pranks. However, one thing led to another, and now a former classmate of ours... Miyako... has gone missing. She was even on the local news a week or two ago."

Before Keiko could do anything about it... not that she could, seeing who it was her soul possessed... Natsuki slid off her chair, bowed her head low, and ended up on the floor on all fours.

"Keiko-chan, I'm scared. I feel frightened, guilty, and alone. I haven't even told Sempai about any of this. You're the only other person I can talk to about the incident aside from Hiromi-chan. This, on top of your coma three weeks ago, has been stressing me out all month. I'm about to have a nervous breakdown."

Puu flew atop Natsuki's back and patted her hair while saying, "There, there," because Keiko didn't know what else to say.

Sure, Yukimura had lost contact with several of her childhood friends aside from Urameshi as time passed by, but she never outright betrayed any of them. She couldn't imagine Natsuki doing such a thing either, because she considered her as one of her most loyal and trustworthy companions.

The most important issue in Keiko's mind right now was whether or not the "ghost" that was haunting Natsuki really was a ghost at all. Even so, her friend needed her, and she'd help her to the best of her abilities regardless if the Spirit World considered this a "good karma" gathering mission or not.

* * *

'He says he can save Keiko's life?' was the hazy thought that floated around Yusuke's head before he spat out, "Don't play me for a fool! Like I'd trust anyone associated with that Chojin bastard! You idiots are the reason why we're in this mess! Gathering good karma to counteract the bad karma Seiryu inflicted upon Keiko is a good enough method to heal her."

"Are you sure about that?" asked Gein while resting his finger on his mask's chin strap. "I was watching when you and your posse battled that earthbound ghost inside that mansion earlier today. Aren't you wondering why she turned into a monster all of a sudden? How she gained such a huge amount of negative energy when, earlier on, she was haunting the mansion like a normal spirit according to the accounts of the rich girl you rescued?"

"You goddamn stalker! Mind your own business!" To Urameshi's surprise, Gein's words seemingly brought a second wind to the long-armed freak he had at his mercy, which soon left them at a standstill of sorts, their arms interlocked and the concrete beneath their feet buckling from the force they were exerting upon each other.

"This isn't my first barbecue, you know. I've been solving ghost-related cases for years now. In fact, that shinigami trainee we had with us was a poltergeist I saved too," Yusuke maintained before lifting his enemy off of the ground and pile-driving him to oblivion. This proved to be a mistake as, like a concrete-breaking mole, the long-armed masked beast dug himself out of harm's way.

"Did that trainee turn into an outright monster like Akemi did? I highly doubt that." With a snap, the concrete-digging creature grabbed hold of Urameshi from behind. The teenaged ramen vendor reacted immediately, pummeling his foe with backhanded fists and elbows of fury.

"He is Yatsume Mumyoi, or if you'd prefer, the Nameless Yatsume. Believe it or not, he was once human: A member of a gold-mining clan with a special tradition that allows them to lengthen their limbs about one and a half times as long as normal. Regardless, because he's a mere human revived in modern times, he'd normally be no match against an S-Class hanyou like yourself."

'Normally...?'

Yusuke was about to blast Yatsume away with his Shot Gun special attack when the human-turned-demon's black tights melted into tar while, from out nowhere, bandages with dozens of sutra written on them wrapped themselves around his lithe form. The teen fired off his spirit energy buckshot anyway.

"However, by doing some bodily experiments and psychic surgery on him, I was able to transform Yatsume into a separate aspect of the Chojin's self. Just as the Dai Shin Kan's Sadojima Houji serves as the Chojin's conduit and dark priest, Yatsume Mumyoi now serves as the Chojin's container for his violent nature and wildness. In a sense, you're basically fighting the Chojin right now."

No matter how many times Yusuke fired off his Shot Gun, the mummified tar monster kept healing his elongated limbs and nimble body.

The half-youkai was reminded of his and Kuwabara's annoyance in fighting the Elder Toguro thanks to the shapeshifter's regenerating shenanigans. The late Hiruma Brothers were the same breed of regenerator, come to think of it.

Mumyoi cackled. "Gotcha."

The rest of the fight... if it could be called that... became a blur of claws, spearheads, tendrils, jaws, needles, teeth, blades, spikes, swords, chains, sickles, and all sorts of sharp instruments of death. Yatsume had full control of the murky substance that covered his bandaged body, which allowed him to shapeshift his limbs into anything his cold and black heart desired.

The ebony ichor seared like acid and burned like lava, yet it also allowed Mumyoi infinite flexibility that allowed him to survive Yusuke's desperate attempts at pummeling him to submission with the shock-absorbing properties of rubber.

The color, shape, size, texture, and temperature of the material that covered the former assassin's body were all in Yatsume's full control, which enabled him to turn the half-demon into a pincushion while burning and smothering him at the same time.

The Nameless Yatsume held the thoroughly spent and injured Yusuke by the hair, lifting him high up in the air as his clawed fingers threatened to crush his head like a walnut. The teenager snorted in contempt as his eyes burned with fury and anticipation. "JYU REI...!"

"Easy there, Mister Urameshi. I'm quite aware that once you release your full power, you have the ability to match Yatsume's abilities or even go beyond them. I only brought him here to prove a point," Gein said.

"And what point is that?" demanded Yusuke.

"Haven't you already figured it out? Doesn't Yatsume's form remind you of anything? Doesn't he look like the poltergeist you helped vanquish earlier? It was Yukimura Keiko's bad karma that turned that girl into a monster." Gein's expression remained unreadable behind his over-the-top skull mask.

Urameshi's eyes widened in realization as he grasped Mumyoi's claws and attempted to pry them open. "...No! You're lying! He doesn't look anything like her!"

"Don't be in denial. Here are the facts. Yukimura Keiko's soul is so full of bad karma and jaki that it's affecting all the lost souls around her. Your efforts to revive her through acts of kindness will only backfire in your face in the long run. As cruel as it may be, her very presence around the spirits of the dead will only worsen their fate as well as hers. She was already doomed from the start."

"And you're saying you have a better solution than we do?" Yusuke escaped Yatsume's grip and threw a punch at him. However, his foe easily dodged the attack.

"Yes. The Spirit World has no idea what it's dealing with. The only thing they know about jaki is how to seal it and store it away; out of sight, out of mind. Unless you want Miss Yukimura's body to end up with water in her brain and her soul transformed into a parody of its former self, I suggest you take my offer."

Yatsume tried to embrace Yusuke with a spiky body and trap him inside an iron maiden coffin, but his bandaged and tarred form turned into soup from the heat of the young Urameshi's determined aura.

"No thanks. I don't approve of scams where the person who ruined you is the same person who'll offer to fix you up for a price. You're no better than Ichigaki."

Muffled laughter came forth Gein's mask. "Ah. Doctor Ichigaki. Now that name takes me back." He shrugged. "A pity. Don't say I didn't warn you." He snapped his gloved fingers at Mumyoi. "It's time for us to go, Yatsume. You've bared your fangs. Let's leave before you're actually forced to fight a mazoku."

Yatsume growled and stood his ground. "You're not the boss of me. He's my prey now. Let him release his true power. The weak is food for the strong. If I can conquer someone as strong as he is, then I can prove that I'm the strongest of them all!"

As Gein was about to retort, "Suit yourself," and leap away, all three of them heard the unmistakable tinkling of cracked glass and the footsteps of leather shoes on one side of the building.

After a few more seconds, out emerged a blue-uniformed, lean-faced, and antennae-banged officer of the law from below the edge of the building's upper deck, his mouth chewing on a burning cigarette stick. He wielded his Japanese sword like a spear and aimed it straight at Gein's head.

"SAITO HAJIME! We meet again!" Mumyoi greeted his old Shinsengumi nemesis while intercepting his charge, confident that the Chojin's violent power would pull him through. Unfortunately for him, Saito crushed and pureed his left arm and most of his shoulder with ease, as though it weren't even there.

As Yatsude regenerated his lost limb, the policeman announced, "I am Lieutenant Fujita Goro. You're the Shin Ju's and Unit 731's Edward Gein and the Dai Shin Kan's Yatsume Mumyoi. You're both under arrest for being known associates of the Overfiend. I'll be taking you in for questioning right now."

'Jeez, this hospital's security guards mean serious business!' observed Yusuke as Saito or Fujita ran roughshod over the Chojin's two henchmen. 'So which one is this guy's name anyway? Saito or Fujita? And why does that name sound familiar?'

"You've done your research, former Third Unit Captain of the Shinshu Troop and ex-member of the police force and the Imperial Japanese Army. I'm also amazed at how little _we_ know about your present self," confessed Gein as piano-wire strings suddenly appeared tied around his fingers. "You've been dead for seventy-eight years and yet here you are, fresh as a daisy. Why is that?"

"That's an interesting codename you have. Did you intentionally name yourself after an American body snatcher, _Gein_?" Fujita answered the puppet master's question with a question of his own as he drew close.

"A little bit of both. I actually had the name 'Gein' before that serial killer was even born," Gein informed before one pull of his strings resulted in the emergence of the meat puppet known as Iwanbo from underground, which meant that it was probably hidden beforehand by Yatsume. Fujita's blade punched into the doughy marionette from its tip to the sword handle.

"We'll be seeing you around, Lieutenant," said Gein before he and Mumyoi dove right off the building.

"Don't think this is the last you've seen of us, Urameshi Yusuke! Saito Hajime!" shouted Yatsume while wincing at his sore yet freshly regenerated arm.

Meanwhile, Iwanbo (the first version that was used to infiltrate the Juppon Gatana) spewed out a bomb that exploded immediately before even the decently fast Yusuke could save the policeman.

Not that he needed to anyway, because soon enough, a slightly burnt but otherwise unharmed Goro emerged from the raging fires of the explosion as though he'd merely slipped and fell into a dirty, brick chimney. He spat the flaming piece of wrapped up tobacco in his mouth before its flames reached his lips.

"HEY! I remember you now! Kuwabara mentioned you to me. You're that historical figure guy who rescued my girlfriend from that bastard, Seiryu!" said Yusuke while waving at the officer who saved his hide, or at the very least saved him the effort of kicking the hides of those two Chojin lackeys. "Thanks. I owe you not one, but two... uh, favors!"

The lieutenant walked straight past Urameshi while scraping off bits of soot and patting down the small embers on his uniform. "Hey, aren't you going to say anything?" asked Yusuke as he grabbed hold of the copper's shoulder.

Fujita harrumphed as he brushed the half-demon's hand away. "I have nothing to say to a person who wastes his time and limits his power to save someone who cannot be saved instead of using his gifts to battle an ever-present danger that threatens all three worlds."

Yusuke was left with a gaping mouth, an hanging jaw, and slumped shoulders as the policeman shut the door on his face. "Jeez! I still appreciate your help and all, but you don't have to be a dick about it!"

He also wondered why the policeman, for whatever reason, sounded like Meikai's Yakumo.

* * *

By the time Yusuke walked back to Keiko's room at the ICU, Natsuki was long gone.

He didn't like what Keiko (who had gone past the thirty minute mark for spirits to safely possess living creatures, so she'd already left Puu's body) told him as soon as he got there, though.

"I know what my second mission is."

After that, she asked what'd happened to him while he was away, taking note of all the freshly healed scars and stab wounds all over his body. She also pointed out the explosion that the entire hospital heard, which resulted in the arrival of the Tokyo fire department.

Yusuke didn't have the heart to tell Keiko that, according to the Chojin's personal surgeon or whatever, her mere presence was injecting even more bad karma into earthbound spirits because of all the negative energy that was leaking out of her cursed soul.

'He's lying. We're going to prove that skull-masked puppeteer wrong,' was Urameshi's mantra to himself.

* * *

_At one of the outdoor tables of a Tokyo coffee shop... _

"Puu!" Puu chirped, his head poking out of a bag. Yusuke stuffed him right back in.

"I'm happy that Keiko-neechan is taking the initiative to track down earthbound spirits by herself, but I wish she checked with me first," mentioned Sayaka while writing her latest report on Miss Yukimura's newest mission.

Yusuke rolled his eyes. "The only reason we followed Shota around was because you wanted to check up on your puppy love. The fact that there was a poltergeist running amuck was pure coincidence. Keiko's choice in missions is as good as any."

"Huh. You're being surprisingly supportive today, Yusuke," Keiko noticed before giving her boyfriend a cold peck on the cheek. "I hope you're doing this out of good faith and not because you're feeling guilty about something."

"Hey, look! It's Natsuki! She's right on time!" a sweaty Yusuke outright changed the subject while Keiko puffed her cheeks and stared daggers at him.

"Hi, Urameshi-san. Did you wait long?"

"Nope. Have a seat over there, Natsuki."

Eventually, the five of them (two if one only counted the visible, alive, and human people) gathered together under one, umbrella-topped table.

"This is a bad idea. Can you speak to Keiko-chan for me? She already has enough problems to be worrying about the problems of others!" complained Natsuki to Yusuke, unaware that there were already two floating spirits before her.

"She insists that you're her friend, so it's only natural for her to be involved."

"Well, can I speak to her using Puu-chan, then?"

"Nope, sorry. She can only possess living creatures for up to thirty minutes each day," Yusuke said while Puu again poked his head out of the knapsack after hearing his name, which prompted the spirit detective to put him inside again.

"Well, can she possess _you_?" queried Natsuki further.

"If you're going to insist on asking her to give up, it'll be a waste of time."

Natsuki closed her eyes and exhaled. She opened one eye at Yusuke and relented, "Fine. What does she want?"

"She wants to contact Hiromi. In case the ghost of Suzuka strikes either of you, Keiko wants to be there to confront her."

"We're already at the cafe right in front of Hiromi-chan's school. She usually hangs out here during lunch," pointed out Natsuki. She then buried her face in her hands in defeat.

"It's no use. After everyone in my former sixth grade class started getting pages from Suzuka-chan's lost diary, Hiromi-chan was among the most affected of us all. Ever since that happened, I haven't seen her. I can barely keep in contact with her. It certainly doesn't help that all three of us friends from Sarayashiki ended up in different high schools."

Yusuke nodded as he scoped out the high school in question and took a slurp of the iced coffee he ordered. Like with Keiko's school, it was an all-girls school. "Out of curiosity, which high school are you going to?"

"I'm going to Meiou High. The school Hiromi-chan is going to is called Oumi Academy. Keiko-chan is attending Daiichi High School, right?"

"Yep." Urameshi slicked his hair, remembering that Keiko was already in the middle of preparing for her university exams before that nonsense with Seiryu happened. "Any ideas? Or are we just going to wait for this old ghost friend of yours to come out and haunt you?"

Natsuki took a sip of her own drink. "I was kind of hoping Hiromi-chan already came back to the apartment she's renting nearby. Classes are about to start soon anyway, after all."

* * *

Yusuke wiped the sweat off his brow. He excused himself to use the john located within the cafe, leaving his backpack full of Puu under Natsuki's (and an unseen Keiko's) care.

Sayaka gave Yusuke the same puffed-up cheeks and sullen-eyed look that Keiko aimed at him earlier.

"What's your problem, kid? Oh, and don't follow me into the men's room."

"But Big Bro, I'm not doing anything at all in this mission! I was a lot more useful in our last mission!"

"The one who needs to gather good karma for herself is Keiko, not you. Do what Botan does during these missions. Tell us what's going on, supply us with gadgets or trinkets for future use, and report back to that pacifier-sucking brat anything that needs reporting. You're a Spirit World Inspector now. Do some... inspecting!"

"But that's so boring!" complained Sayaka.

"But that's your job!" countered Urameshi. "I don't want you firing off spiritual lasers or getting eaten by hungry poltergeists. Promise me you won't do any of that dangerous stuff like a good shinigami-in-training, okay?"

Both ghost and half-demon halted in mid-float and mid-step as they chanced upon a sunglasses-wearing girl with twin ponytails standing in their way. She was about Natsuki's or Keiko's age, from what Yusuke could gather. "Um, can I help you, miss...?

The pony-tailed girl answered Urameshi back with a crisp slap to his face that would've made Keiko proud.

* * *

**To Be Continued...**

_Next: Keiko's second mission continues._

Yeah, Natsuki is the canonical name of the glasses-wearing friend of Keiko (the other one was never named in either the manga or anime). Yes, I'm also willing to risk redundancy by having two Natsukis in this series. It's not as if they're going to meet or anything.

Moreover, just in case I forgot, the "Shichosei" or "Star of Death" is actually a reference to Fist of the North Star and the star that appears whenever a character is fated to die.

_May kailangan pa ba akong sabihin?_**_  
_Abdiel**


	31. Chapter 30

**Demon Sword**

A Yuyu Hakusho/Rurouni Kenshin Crossover Fan Fiction by Chester Castañeda

Original Concept by Chad Yang

It was interesting writing this arc. It wrote itself most of the time.

_Disclaimer: Yuyu Hakusho is the rightful property of Yoshihiro Togashi, Shueisha, Fuji TV, and St. Pierrot. Rurouni Kenshin is the rightful property of Nobuhiro Watsuki, Shueisha, Shonen Jump, Viz, Sony Studios, Fuji TV, Studio Gallup, Studio Deen, and ADV. This disclaimer also covers all the other copyrighted material that are far too many to mention here. Don't sue me please, I'm very poor._

* * *

**Chapter 30: Homework Never Ends (Part 5)**

* * *

_Inside the cafe near the all-girls school of Oumi Academy... _

To Yusuke, the slap he received was nothing more than a surprising pinprick or mosquito bite in light of the fact that he could now face down bullets or tank rounds and survive.

However, the shock of getting slapped by a female other than his mother, Botan, or Keiko had enough impact to make him reel. In fairness to Yukimura, her slap remained the most painful one he'd ever experienced, even after he powered up to godly proportions.

"Yusuke-niichan! Who is this girl? Are you two-timing Keiko-neechan or something?" came the "ever-faithful" and "trusting" questions of his assigned shinigami trainee for the mission, Sayaka the former earthbound spirit. Did the little girl even know what two-timing meant?

"How dare you date Natsuki-chan behind Keiko-chan's back now that your girlfriend is in a coma! That's lower than low!" the double pony-tailed girl berated the half-demonic Urameshi, which to the patrons of the store looked like a love spat.

"Uh, and you are...?" asked the bemused ex-Reikai Tantei. He couldn't remember the last time he was slapped by a woman aside from Keiko. Botan usually used her boat paddle, and his mother didn't even bother anymore since she kicked him out of the house and he started living on his own.

"I'm Hiromi. I'm friends with Keiko-chan and Natsuki-chan, the girls you're stringing along like you're some sort of hotshot gigolo, you two-timing bastard!"

'Oh, so that's how it is...' Yusuke almost didn't recognize Hiromi now that she wasn't cowering alongside her glasses-wearing cohort every time he was near their vicinity. 'How times have changed.'

To Hiromi, Urameshi beseeched, "It's not what you think! Let me explain!" He afterwards winced. How many comic books, television dramas, and romantic comedies (that he'd been forced to watch along with Keiko) contained that same, overused line?

To Yusuke's surprise, the girl accepted his challenge, her arms crossed, her upper body leaning back, her hips swayed, and her foot tapping impatiently at him. "Well? I'm listening. Explain."

Urameshi opened his mouth, but no sound came out of it as realization hit him as hard as the sports car that first killed him did.

What was he supposed to say to her? That it was okay for him to meet up with Natsuki because the soul of his comatose girlfriend told him to do so? Or should he mention that the ghost of Hiromi's grade school classmate who committed suicide _might_ be the person who was sending all those creepy diary pages around? And how about Keiko's karma-gathering quest? Should he mention that too?

"Wrong answer." With that said, Hiromi tossed her pony-tailed head at Yusuke and sauntered away in a huff, leaving a parting shot of, "Next time, have the courtesy of _waiting_ for your girlfriend to kick the bucket before abandoning her for one of her best friends."

"Now wait just a goddamned second!" Urameshi grabbed hold of the girl's thin wrist and turned her around to face him.

"LET GO OF ME!"

"NO! Not until you take back what you said! How dare you presume things about other people without knowing the circumstances first! Keiko isn't dead and I have no intention of abandoning her in her time of need!"

"Yusuke-niichan..." Sayaka gulped, her face luminous as she remembered her adoptive big brother's own speech that brought her back from the brink of depression.

"Fine! I take it back! I'm sorry! Please let me go!"

The girl had her eyes squeezed tight as she trembled underneath Yusuke's grip. He thought that she'd gotten over her fear of him when she walked up to him and slapped him, but he now realized that she must've forced herself to do so and she was quite terrified the whole time.

"What's going on? Is it a lover's quarrel? Or is that guy trying to assault that girl?"

"I heard that guy is two-timing his sick girlfriend for one of her best friends!"

"Really? That's messed up!"

The ex-spirit detective let Hiromi go as the buzz around them grew. "Sorry. I got carried away. But I meant what I said. Don't you dare talk about Keiko as though she's already a goner. I haven't given up on her, and so should you, since you're her friend too."

"Oh..." Hiromi trailed off. "I misread the situation. I've said some horrible things without thinking. I-I'm sorry too. I jumped to conclusions." She held herself in her arms as she let her shaking subside. "You're not on a date with Natsuki-chan, are you?"

'Of course he isn't...' she berated herself. He almost bit her head off for even suggesting that Keiko had one foot in the grave.

Yusuke breathed a sigh of relief. "Nope. Not for a second. Besides, she already has a sempai she's head-over-heels in love with."

The twin pony-tailed young lady raised an eyebrow at Urameshi, her mouth curving upwards. "Oh really? You must've had a _real_ heart-to-heart chat with her to know that much about her."

"What are you implying? Jeez." Yusuke put his hands inside his pants' pockets. "About that... Natsuki's been looking for you. How long has it been since you two last met? She's worried. She says you've disappeared since, you know, that incident with your former classmate."

"Uh, can we talk somewhere private...?" Hiromi quivered, her head feeling light and woozy. "We're kind of bothering the other customers. Let's take this outside."

"Sure. Uh, where...?" Dammit, he still needed to use the john.

Hiromi beckoned, "Follow me." She then asked as Yusuke went the opposite direction, "Uh, where are you going?"

"I'll be back in a second, I swear!" Yusuke yelped as he squirmed around, his thighs and knees together, his hands covering his crotch, before making a beeline towards the men's room. "Ah! It's leaking!"

"Oh man, what does Keiko-chan see in that guy?" Hiromi breathed out as she stood outside the restroom, her cheeks pink and her eyes closed.

"Big Bro, that was totally lame," said the unseen, unheard ghost of Sayaka as she waited for Yusuke beside Hiromi. "It completely ruined how cool you looked earlier too."

* * *

_Outside the fire exit of the cafe, at a back alley... _

Thanks to the presence of Keiko's boyfriend, Hiromi was again reminded that she was the only single girl among her friends. Even though Natsuki had even less experience in love than she did, at least the bespectacled girl had an upperclassman to confess her love to. 'Whatever.'

"What are you doing? Why won't you meet up with Natsuki? You share the same problems, as far as I can see," Yusuke said while drying off his hands with a napkin that he crumpled and threw on the nearby trash bin.

"How much did Natsuki-chan tell you about Suzuka?" Hiromi asked, evading Urameshi's question.

"Natsuki told me that for some reason, pages from Suzuka's missing diary were sent to their former classmates... the last ones they had before Suzuka... you know. This girl wasn't in the best of terms with most of them, it'd seem. One of your classmates, the person whom Suzuka hated the most, had already disappeared."

"Natsuki-chan told you a lot. As expected of that blabbermouth," said Hiromi while wiping chagrined droplets of sweat on her forehead. Who would've thought that the whimpering, mousy girl she knew from elementary would become such a talkative busybody in middle school and high school? 'I'm sort of to blame for that, I guess.'

Hiromi couldn't believe it, though. She was actually carrying a rather decent conversation with the infamous Yusuke Urameshi, Sarayashiki Junior High's Number One Delinquent. Granted, it took a misunderstanding of epic proportions to make it happen, but she had to find a way to talk to him sooner or later if she were to be considered Keiko's true friend that was worth her salt.

She couldn't believe how her body moved on its own in anger when she saw that jerk sipping drinks with Natsuki like they were on a date. 'He's nicer than I thought. He's also quite the simpleminded guy.'

"Can you answer my question now?"

"Pardon?"

"Why not talk to Natsuki right now? To clear things up. She was also freaked out by the appearance of those diary pages, y'know."

Hiromi stared at the concrete pavement, watching the line of ants march from the trash bin to a crack in the sidewalk just outside the alleyway while feeling the burn of Yusuke's stare. "I can't face Natsuki-chan as of the moment. I'm too ashamed to do so."

"Why is that?"

"Because it's embarrassing, and whoever it is responsible for sending those diary pages to us ex-classmates of Suzuka brought back some unpleasant memories I'd rather forget."

Yusuke scratched the back of his head while staring at what little of the Tokyo sky he could see within the narrow passageway. "I don't get it. Wasn't Natsuki supposed to have more bad memories of Suzuka than you? I mean, she's the one who betrayed her, right?"

Hiromi screeched. "...I WAS THEIR BULLY BACK IN SIXTH GRADE, OKAY? Jeez!" She turned her back on Urameshi. "I'm too ashamed to face Natsuki-chan in light of what I did to her and Suzuka."

"Really? Huh." Yusuke thought back to what Keiko told him about what Natsuki told her. "Kei... I mean, Natsuki didn't mention anything about you bullying her. I was under the impression that you kind of just ignored both Suzuka and Natsuki, like the rest of their sixth-grade classmates... I mean, _your_ sixth-grade classmates... did."

"That's what Natsuki-chan said, huh? That idiot, always playing the martyr and blaming herself for the mistakes of others..." Hiromi harrumphed while biting her nails. "She and Suzuka were among the misfits of our class. They didn't belong to any particular clique, and most of the time, people didn't even know they exist."

Hiromi closed her eyes and frowned as her memories came flooding back.

"She apparently remembered everything I did to her. Her entry about me is a whole laundry list of the things I did or said to her. While hiding her textbooks this one time, my friends and I discovered a notebook full of her laughable attempts at writing a raunchy romance novel. We then posted pages of it on the classroom billboard."

Hiromi's face became a mix of guilt and withheld mirth. "I also made Natsuki-chan cry by forging a love letter under her name and sending it to her crush. We then made her crush's crush find out about it, which led to an awkward confrontation between her, her crush, and his crush in between classes."

"You're evil." What else was Yusuke supposed to say after that? He was amazed, though; for elementary students, that was some thorough bullying going on there. 'Wait, so how did they become friends if...?'

"That's not all," Hiromi interjected, interrupting Urameshi's train of thought. "I was best friends with the girl that disappeared after those diary pages resurfaced, and we were part of a group of sukeban by the time sixth grade rolled along." By sukeban, she meant female delinquents.

"I'm not proud to say this, but we typically had our kicks by bullying those two, especially Suzuka because it was quite easy to make her cry. Natsuki-chan once dared snitch on me to the homeroom teacher after she saw me do a prank on Suzuka, so I gave her a hard time as well, like dumping staple wires on her hair or setting her books on fire on the school incinerator."

"Eh? You were a sukeban? But you were so afraid of me back in junior high! How can a crybaby like you be a delinquent? Keiko's more of a sukeban than you!" said Yusuke. He shrunk back as Hiromi snarled in a manner that would've made any juvenile delinquent proud.

"_That's_ the first thing that came to mind when I said I bullied Natsuki-chan and her former best friend?"

"Don't misunderstand. I think you're a complete and total bitch for doing all that shit to Natsuki and her friend," Urameshi assured. "But I have to ask, do they even have delinquents in _grade_ school? Speaking from personal experience as an actual, honest-to-goodness delinquent with a pompadour to match, you'd have to be part of the yakuza to start rebelling that early!"

"M-Moron, why do you think I was so afraid of you? I know how dangerous Yankees can be." Ah, Hiromi just called Keiko's scary boyfriend a moron. Was it opposite day today? Was she really having a Keiko-like conversation with Sarayashiki Junior High's Number One Delinquent and Leader of Two Thousand Gang Members? Whatever. She didn't know anymore.

As a side note, "Yankees" in this instance referred to stereotypical student delinquents like Yusuke who had their hair in a pompadour or regent (rizento) hairstyle that jutted out from the forehead like Egon Spengler's hairdo (from the movie Ghostbusters) and picked fights on a regular basis.

"I think you elementary 'sukeban' wannabes overestimate yourselves too much. There's no way a bunch of little grade school girls can compare to true middle school or high school delinquents."

"Oh really? Is that a challenge? All right, then." Hiromi proceeded to tell Yusuke each and every detail of her bullying of Suzuka, down to the last prank.

"..." said Urameshi.

"Well?" asked Hiromi.

Yusuke's face had a glazed-eyed look before his jaw dropped as he blurted out, "God damn. You bitches are crazy! What did that poor girl do to you? Did she kill family members or stole the hearts of your crushes or something? That's incredibly low. What is wrong with you people?"

"Wha...? You asked me to prove that we weren't being poser sukeban, then you complain when I do just that?" a red-faced, flaring-eyed Hiromi countered.

"I guess it's my bad for underestimating the cruelty of children, then! I've done my share of pranks and practical jokes, but you really crossed the line with your bullying! No wonder you drove the poor girl to suicide...!"

Yusuke went quiet, gulping. "I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking. I'm an idiot. It's none of my business."

"You're absolutely right. I'm a horrible person." Hiromi pushed her back against the warm brick wall near the fire exit, her eyes shining with pensiveness underneath a bright neon light.

"I didn't realize that we've hurt Suzuka with our pranks until it was too late. I was so terrible back then that I made a bet that I could make either Suzuka or Natsuki-chan quit going to school before the school year ended. We drove my classmate to kill herself. I don't deserve to be called Keiko-chan's friend."

"I wouldn't say that. I mean, would a bad person slap the boyfriend of her comatose friend because she thought that he was cheating on her with another friend of hers, even though she used to be so petrified of him back in middle school? I don't think you're a bad person at all. At the very least, Keiko's lucky to have a friend like you."

Hiromi bowed her head in such a way that shadows covered eyes. "I don't think you're a bad person either, Urameshi-san."

"Thanks." Urameshi leaned on the left side of the door parallel to Hiromi. "...Are you crying?" he asked without looking at her.

"Of course not. I don't have the right to do that. A bully crying over her victim is insulting to the victim." She wiped her moist eyes nonetheless.

* * *

_At the patio area of the cafe, on one of the outdoor tables... _

"He sure is taking his time, your boyfriend," Natsuki said to the blue spirit beast before her while sipping the remnants of her iced coffee.

"Let me warn you in advance. I can only enter Puu's body to talk to you for thirty minutes in any given day, or else I'll risk damaging Puu's soul," warned Keiko. The possessed Puu then grabbed hold of either side of Natsuki's mouth and stretched them out in opposite directions.

"H-Heiho-han...?" mumbled Natsuki.

"I also forgot to punish you for telling Yusuke all those embarrassing stuff yesterday! What were you thinking? Just because I'm in a coma...!" Keiko ranted.

Natsuki attempted to speak, but it came out as gibberish, so Keiko drew back Puu's flippers and relinquished her grip on her friend.

Puu sulked in a corner while Natsuki patted the spirit beast's head. "It must be tough having your soul stuck inside some weird stuffed toy while your boyfriend is finding a way to get it back to your body somehow. Sounds like a plot to a manga."

"How did you know that...?" asked Keiko, because she never mentioned to Natsuki the fact that Yusuke was trying to revive her, but she stopped short after seeing her friend's glasses fog up.

"...Do you think Suzuka-chan's ghost has the heart to forgive me after all this time? In her diary, she wrote that she could take anything our bullies could dish out as long as she had me as a friend. I don't know what to do, Keiko-chan. I've betrayed her trust, drove her to suicide, and now she's come back for revenge!"

"Natsuki-chan..." trailed off Keiko before she hugged her best friend with Puu's small flippers and lengthy, floppy ears. 'Yusuke, where the hell are you?'

The possessed former mascot of the Urameshi Team noticed a folded page on Natsuki's shirt pocket. She snatched it out and unfolded it. It was a photocopied letter made entirely out of a collage of cutout kanji from newspapers and magazines. "Natsuki-chan, what in the world is this?"

"That's the reason why I was so curious about the existence of spirits and ghosts yesterday, Keiko-chan. It's my one clue to where Suzuka-chan's soul is. All this time, I've been preparing my heart to go there."

Sure enough, the letter outright dared the people from the sixth grade class of the late Suzuka to come to the place where the deceased girl lost her will to live, challenging them to confront her restless spirit if they so chose.

"Lost her will to live...?" reiterated Yukimura's astral projection.

* * *

"No!" Hiromi heard Urameshi hiss. "Don't you see she's too emotional to do that right now? Learn to read the mood, you little brat!"

"Who are you talking to?" asked Hiromi with a raised eyebrow. What did he mean by do _that_? Do what? "You're creeping me out again."

"Ah, I'm just thinking aloud. Don't mind me." Yusuke grinned. He then squirmed as Hiromi continued to glare at him.

"You're a weirdo. I have no idea what Keiko-chan sees in you." She looked away again.

"Sticks and stones, Miss Grade School Delinquent." Yusuke snorted. He then broached a different topic. "Hey, I was wondering. Natsuki says that she used to be best friends with this Suzuka chick until she betrayed her. What exactly did she do to betray her, then?"

Hiromi flinched. "Suzuka misunderstood. Natsuki-chan never betrayed her."

"What?"

"It's all my fault."

"Oh boy, what did you do to them this time? Did you force Natsuki to lie to Suzuka or did you do force Suzuka to do something so terrible that even Natsuki started avoiding her?"

"Not exactly. I wasn't a good student, so I usually forced either Natsuki-chan or Suzuka to do my homework for me."

"I don't follow. How can Natsuki betray Suzuka over homework?"

"Let me finish. There was this one time when I made Natsuki-chan furious at me. It was after I anonymously mailed Suzuka's gym shorts to the most popular guy in our class. Natsuki-chan confronted me about it, I denied everything, we had a shouting match, but she can't do anything about it."

Hiromi laughed hollowly. "I made a fake love triangle that caused trouble between Natsuki-chan, her crush, and his crush, but she didn't have the guts to confront me. Yet when it was Suzuka who was in peril, she came to her rescue with no hesitation. If you want to talk about true friends, then there you go."

"I see." Urameshi nodded. "Um, that's nice and all, but what about Natsuki's betrayal?"

"Afterwards, while Suzuka was walking home listlessly, insensitive ol' me went and asked her to do my math homework."

"You're horrible."

"I know. I'm also terrible at math. Anyway, Natsuki-chan again jumped to Suzuka's rescue. I honestly thought she was going to take me on then and there, but she instead told me to get a clue and learn math instead. When I threatened to lock her inside the girl's bathroom again, she bowed down to the floor and begged, 'How about if I teach you math, will you leave Suzuka-chan alone?'"

"Well, how about that? She couldn't beat you up, so she used her smarts to barter for Suzuka's peace of mind. Now that's what I call a true pal. But where's the betrayal?"

"Stop interrupting me and I'll tell you! Anyway, Natsuki-chan's plan worked. Ever since she started tutoring me, I eased off on her and Suzuka. It's only fair." Hiromi shrugged.

"She then asked me a favor. She always had trouble talking to people, especially boys. That's why she was friends with Suzuka; they're both socially awkward. So, although it was annoying, I helped her out with that issue as well, since her tutoring allowed me to graduate elementary."

"And then?"

"I helped her straighten out her problems with her crush. I gave her opportunities to talk to him and be comfortable around him and other boys. I may have overdid it; she can barely shut up when she's around friends nowadays. I also cheered her on so that she could confess her feelings to him before he could confess his feelings to his crush. Of course, that went sour fast and she was devastated. But it was a fun experience playing matchmaker nonetheless."

Yusuke slid his back against the wall and squatted on the pavement, just like old times when he was a Sarayashiki delinquent. "I think I know where this is going."

"Suzuka felt left out and ignored." Hiromi bit her lip. "The person who helped me study was Natsuki-chan, not her. I was hanging out with two groups at the time, but when I'm with those two, Suzuka ended up the odd person out, particularly when we started talking about boys and our love lives. As a result, Suzuka started to drift away and avoid Natsuki-chan altogether."

"The green-eyed monster did her in, huh?" Yusuke scratched the area behind his ears. "That makes sense. I just couldn't see a nice girl like Natsuki outright abandoning her friend. There must've been some sort of misunderstanding. It's too bad Suzuka ended up so lonely after Natsuki became friends with you."

"I'm probably partly to blame for driving Suzuka away too, because most of the time I was with those two, I only tolerated her presence because she was Natsuki-chan's friend. Natsuki-chan was devastated when Suzuka stopped coming to school, doubly so when she learned that Suzuka committed suicide. She felt guilty about it ever since."

"Pardon my bluntness, but do you really think losing Natsuki to you was the reason why Suzuka killed herself?"

"Maybe. I don't know. Suzuka has been through a lot. At any rate, I have to go and face the ghost of my past now. I have a good idea who's been sending those letters and what she wants to happen."

Hiromi turned her back on Yusuke and gave him a sideway glance. "Thank you for your help, Urameshi-san. I'll be on my way now."

Urameshi stuttered, "H-Hey wait, what about meeting with Natsuki-chan? Don't you think...?"

"Didn't I say that I'm too embarrassed to face her right now? Don't worry, I'll be in touch with her soon. I just need to attend to some unfinished business. Thanks to you, I've made up my mind about it."

"But how can you possibly face Suzuka's ghost alone? Let me at least come with you so that I can protect you!" Yusuke said, remembering the near fatalities caused by yesterday's case.

"...Um, are we speaking in a metaphorical sense?"

"I mean, Natsuki believes that the ghost of Suzuka sent her those diary pages, and she's actually planning on confronting her... Why are you laughing?" Yusuke protested.

Hiromi tittered until her sides hurt. "I can't believe you're the type of person who thinks ghosts are real, Urameshi-san! I'd expect someone as gullible as Natsuki-chan to believe them, but not you. You've surprised me yet again."

"But how can you explain the pages from the missing diary, then?" Urameshi challenged as he rose up from his seated position.

Hiromi exhaled and handed a photocopied letter to Yusuke, the collage of magazine and newspaper kanji cutouts resembling a typical ransom note from a crime film. "How about they were sent by some prankster with a sick sense of humor that needs to get slapped back to reality?"

Yusuke hadn't considered that. He'd been so used to dealing with ghosts and demons for so long that he automatically assumed that this incident was again a supernatural one. Regardless, he insisted, "If it is a stalker of some sort, then let me come with you."

"I-I never said anything about my business being related to the diary pages! Leave me alone!"

"Quit it. They're obviously related and you totally know what's going on. Or should I call the cops?"

Yusuke had an inkling that Hiromi knew a lot more about Suzuka's lost diary than she let on, and she wouldn't tell him where she was going anyway, so he might as well go along with her.

"N-No, there's no need to involve the police." Hiromi folded instead of calling Yusuke's bluff, her eyes zipping back and forth between him and the ground.

"Fine. You can go with me, but you should first cancel your date with Natsuki-chan and then avoid telling her about me or where we're going!"

"How about we save time and go now?" Yusuke suggested.

"What? No, you'll totally stand her up!" Hiromi objected.

"Never mind that! Let's get this over with! I'll explain to Natsuki what happened later!"

To his surprise, Hiromi nodded and said, "Okay. But don't get in the way. This is none of your business."

'If it isn't my business, then why are you letting me follow you?' thought Urameshi as he and Keiko's twin pony-tailed friend ran off into the nearest intersection.

* * *

"I can't believe it," said Natsuki while peeking through the slightly ajar fire exit. "I'm sorry you had to see that, Keiko-chan! I expected better from Urameshi-san! Not so much Hiromi-san, though. To think, she's been hard to contact all this time, only for her to pull something like this!"

"Did you hear what they said before they ran off?" asked Keiko using Puu's beak.

"Hiromi-chan was laughing at Urameshi-san for suggesting that ghosts were sending the diary pages... shows what she knows... and she then said there's no need for him to call the cops."

"I see."

"Wait, shouldn't you be more worried about Urameshi-san running off with Hiromi-chan?" Natsuki opened the door and walked out into the alleyway as soon as the pair was out of sight. "Just because his girlfriend is comatose and in ghost form, it doesn't mean...!"

"Don't be silly. I trust him," said Keiko as she flapped Puu's ears and flew upwards in order to see the direction where her boyfriend and her friend went.

"Aren't you underestimating Hiromi-chan's womanly charms because of the number of times she's been dumped and the number of male admirers you yourself have?" remarked Natsuki.

"OF COURSE NOT!" Keiko nearly squawked as she landed back into Natsuki's arms.

"Can you follow them for me, Natsuki-chan? My thirty-minute limit for occupying Puu's body is almost up, so I won't be able to talk to you soon. Don't worry, I'll still be hanging around, so to speak. I think the place they're headed to has something to do with Suzuka and her diary. Please follow them for me."

"Oh, that makes sense. Sure, Keiko-chan." Natsuki's wide-rimmed glasses dropped to the bridge of her nose as she realized something important. "You know what? I don't think we need to tail after them. I know _exactly_ where they're going."

"Puu!" Puu chirped as he blinked and wiggled his tiny flippers around.

"Uh oh. Time's up." Natsuki took a deep breath as she hugged Puu and took an alternate route to her old elementary school in Shibuya.

Although Hiromi laughed at the notion of the supernatural, it'd seem that one way or another, they were all chasing after the ghost of Suzuka nonetheless.

* * *

_From inside a train headed to Shibuya Station...  
_  
"You've been ignoring me the whole time, Yusuke-niichan!" Sayaka pulled at Yusuke's eyelids and hair. "Why are you running off with Keiko-neechan's friend? Why have you stood up both Big Sis and her other friend? You're acting awfully suspicious!"

"Leave me alone. I know what I'm doing," murmured Yusuke like a petulant child.

"You're not cheating on Big Sis with her friend, are you?" Sayaka supposed while shaking his brain around with her ethereal hands, which sent him into convulsions.

"LIKE HELL I WOULD!" screamed the half-demon.

"Eh? Are you okay, Urameshi-san?" questioned Hiromi with a nudge to Yusuke's side. "You're talking to yourself again."

"I-I'm cool," Urameshi reassured before bowing down and apologizing to the rest of the passengers he'd bothered thanks to his outburst, again ignoring Sayaka's demands for an explanation.

The situation was this: Yusuke himself wasn't sure what was going on. Hopefully, this incident with the diary was a self-contained issue involving mere humans, not bourei or youkai. On the other hand, in case supernatural circumstances were involved, then he might as well solve things himself, without Keiko's help.

Gein had said to him last night: "Yukimura Keiko's soul is so full of bad karma and jaki that it's affecting all the lost souls around her. Your efforts to revive her through acts of kindness will only backfire in your face in the long run. As cruel as it may be, her very presence around the spirits of the dead will only worsen their fate as well as hers. She was already doomed from the start."

Even if this were a case involving humans instead of ghosts, Yusuke didn't want to take the chance. He'd figure out what to do with Keiko's situation later.

"Thank you again for helping me out. I'm sorry for imposing." Hiromi's gratitude woke Yusuke out of his musings.

"No, you didn't impose anything at all. I'm the one who did. It's no big deal."

"Do you want to know what made Natsuki-chan and I befriend Keiko-chan in the first place?" queried Hiromi in a soft monotone.

"I have no idea what that has to do with anything, but sure. I'll bite."

Hiromi handed Urameshi a notebook, then pointed at the top part of the cover. A small photo of a young bespectacled Keiko wearing her old hairdo before she was forced to cut it, a young bespectacled Natsuki, and a young shades-wearing Hiromi greeted him with smiles and peace signs.

"I don't get it. You all met near a photo booth and suddenly became best friends for life?"

"The girl we were with when this was taken was not Keiko-chan. That was Suzuka." Hiromi smiled wanly as Yusuke leaned back and emptied the contents of his lungs in one breath.

"W-What?"

* * *

_From inside a bus headed for Shibuya... _

"...You're surprised, aren't you? So were we! You and Suzuka-chan look so much alike, Keiko-chan! We thought we saw a ghost when we first met you in Sarayashiki... uh, no offense," Natsuki said before putting her photo album inside her bag.

Puu didn't give Natsuki a reassuring "None taken," reply, so the glasses-wearing nerdy girl could only hope that Keiko was around to hear her words.

She looked out her closed window at the sea of humanity sandwiched between towers and vehicles of steel and glass, her means of public transportation currently stuck in a traffic jam.

"I showed you the picture in case Suzuka-chan's ghost does show up."

Puu blinked back at Natsuki.

"Oh, and it's not as if we made friends with you just because you reminded us of Suzuka-chan. You were really friendly, and I'm sure we would've become the best of friends even without you resembling my late best friend."

Natsuki played with Puu's beak as the spirit beast nibbled on her thumb.

"I-I swear you weren't some sort of replacement friend or anything weird like that. Once we got to know you, we realized you were nothing like Suzuka-chan. I'm glad I was able to be friends with someone as smart, beautiful, kind, and brave as you, Keiko-chan."

Puu nuzzled his face deep into Natsuki's bosom.

"Please answer me."

Natsuki grabbed hold of Puu, hugging him tight.

"Please don't end up like Suzuka-chan, Keiko-chan."

* * *

_At the auditorium of Sakamoto Elementary, in the afternoon...  
_  
"This is the place," said Hiromi, surprised at how easily she was able to sneak herself and a boy inside her old alma mater, although it did help that the old guard recognized her immediately and allowed her to loiter around campus. Classes were long over, in any case.

"Are you sure this is it? What does your old school's auditorium have to do with Suzuka losing her will to live?" Yusuke asked.

"Ah. Hiromi-chan. Long time, no see. How have you been?" a thin, svelte girl in a sailor fuku with blonde hair that reached all the way to her back emerged from the shadows and greeted Keiko's friend in ponytails. "I see you've figured out where Suzuka-chan lost her will to live."

Urameshi tilted his head to the side. "Hey, Hiromi. Who's that? A friend of yours?"

"She's the student who went missing from her home after the pages from Suzuka's diary first surfaced; the Queen of 6-A and our ever-responsible class rep, Miyako-chan."

Hiromi laced her hands together and stretched her arms. "Even the police couldn't figure out where you've been all this time, huh? As expected of Class 6-A's covert delinquent."

"Eh? Are you serious? What's she doing here?" queried Yusuke.

"Are you really that dense? She's the one who mailed Suzuka's diary pages to my classmates like some sort of psycho, Urameshi-san!" explained Hiromi.

Yusuke asked another question. "Is she a model of some sort? She looks like a foreigner! Is she half-Japanese or a naturalized Japanese citizen? I've seen some real beauties during my time, but she looks like she belongs in a centerfold!"

Hiromi grabbed hold of Yusuke's gelled hair and tugged hard. "Is that something a man in a committed relationship would say?"

"And who is this?" inquired Miyako with a lingering, Cheshire Cat grin. "You're not Hiromi-chan's boyfriend, are you?"

A duet of "NO HE'S NOT!" and "NO I'M NOT!" was heard from both Hiromi and Yusuke. The ponytails-sporting girl clarified, "He's the boyfriend of a friend of mine. He's here to help me stop you from hurting yourself, Miyako-chan."

Yusuke let out a cathartic sigh. There were no ghosts involved here. No mutated poltergeists were going to pop out to gobble up the nearest humans around. This was just some messed-up girl who had too much time in her hands.

'Had I known, I would've brought Keiko here too. Or maybe we shouldn't have involved ourselves in this business at all.'

"Stop me? Whatever do you mean, Hiromi-chan? Did I do something wrong?" queried Miyako as she tossed her lengthy golden locks and smiled a 1.21-gigawatt smile that complemented her glassy, blurry blue eyes. Hiromi couldn't meet her gaze after she said that.

"Why'd you do it, Miyako-chan?" Hiromi asked. "Why are you terrorizing our former classmates with bad memories and the ghost of Suzuka? Haven't we already done enough to her? Why do you hate her so much? Leave her in peace."

Instead of answering Hiromi's questions, Miyako asked, "Hey, don't you know what today's date is?"

"What kind of sick joke is that?" snapped Hiromi. She knew what Miyako meant.

"I'm not joking," deadpanned Miyako. "It's March 25. It's our precious Suzuka-chan's four-year death anniversary. What happened here in the auditorium occurred a few days before her suicide. You should've come by around that time instead. I've been waiting here for _days_."

"WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?" Hiromi reiterated. "We agreed to put our past behind us, didn't we? Why bring this issue up now of all times?"

Yusuke gulped as his non-beating heart sank and butterflies fluttered inside his stomach. He hated confrontations like this. He was out of his element.

A man-eating demon that had the power to level Tokyo City like an atomic bomb, Urameshi could deal with; two girls passive-aggressively fighting because of another girl they also passive-aggressively drove to suicide? He didn't think Rei-Gan blasts or a million punches held the answer to that particular problem.

"Why am I doing this? I want to share Suzuka-chan's suffering with the people responsible for it, of course. I had no idea, and most likely, no one in our class did either. We all should've known better, Hiromi-chan."

Miyako pouted. "It's such a shame. I wish more people had come. The thought of seeing Suzuka-chan's 'ghost' must've scared them off. Everyone in our sixth grade class knew when and where Suzuka-chan lost her will to live, but it looks like it's only you and me who cared enough to come here. Poor Suzuka-chan. In the end, the only ones who cared enough to remember her are her bullies."

By reflex or rage, Hiromi strode in front of Miyako and slapped the taste out of the latter's mouth.

"What the hell is wrong with you? You've never changed. Even back in elementary, you were always the attention seeker!" berated Hiromi, her right hand shaking and numb from how hard she had hit Miyako. "Do you really hate Suzuka that much? Why can't you let her go? I don't understand you at all!"

Miyako licked the blood on her fat lip. "Hate her? I never really hated her. Had she not done such a stupid thing, I honestly couldn't care less about her, much less remember her."

"HEY! I don't know what your deal with Suzuka is, but at least have some respect for the dead!" Yusuke exclaimed while imagining the hurt expression Suzuka would've given had she heard Miyako's words... while wearing the same face Keiko had, at that.

Miyako responded, "I'm only being honest. She didn't stand out much, and the only reason I gave her the time of day was because she was so much fun to torture. She wore her heart on her sleeve. I only did what anyone in our class would've done."

"Why'd you do that to her? She never hurt anyone!" Hiromi put her hands over her mouth, as though she'd accidentally blurted out some curse word in front of her parents or confessed her love to a boy she just met.

Yusuke gasped, gripping his unmoving heart that Sensui destroyed when he was killed for the second time (his blood flow was currently governed by the pulse of his cells thanks to his demonic transmogrification). Images flashed before his mind's eye; undecipherable, yet somehow miserable.

"Oh. Do you have any right to tell that to me? Does anyone in our class have the right to say that either? It's like our entire class, or even the entire school, turned on her, isn't it?"

Hiromi flinched and grabbed her cheek as though she herself had been slapped. Miyako had a point. "You're right. I apologize. I was being a huge hypocrite."

"Really now? I agree. It's interesting how you can apologize for being a hypocrite, but not for slapping me," jibed Miyako as her hair gleamed thanks to the rays of the setting sun that reached the gigantic windows of the auditorium.

"At least you had enough moxie to come here. Even Suzuka-chan's former best friend is missing. I was hoping for our classmates to prove me wrong. Instead, once again, Class 6-A has come up short."

"If that's the case, then let's get the hell out of here already. Forget about Suzuka. What's done is done. Your family is worried about you. You've been missing for weeks now," pressed Hiromi as she grabbed hold of Miyako's sleeve.

After a moment of silence, Miyako spoke again. "If what I did was so wrong, why didn't anyone stop me? Why didn't you stop me? Or any of our classmates and teachers, for that matter."

"Y-You've made your point. Forgive my French, but our sixth grade class was made up of cruel, preteen bitches and assholes. We should all be ashamed of ourselves. We were all terrible people. We turned on the helpless and the misunderstood. But it's too late for regrets."

Bullets of cold sweat appeared all over Yusuke's body, his breath belabored. He saw the unmistakable tendrils of black jaki form around Miyako's silhouette like plumes of smoke, as though the afternoon sun set her on fire and cooked her right on the spot.

"Is that it? Is that your answer? ARE YOU REALLY ALL RIGHT WITH THIS?" The birds from a nearby tree outside the auditorium flew and fled the scene even though they couldn't possibly have heard what Miyako said just now.

Hiromi hesitated before probing, "M-Miyako-chan...?"

Miyako took a worn-out, leather-bound booklet from her skirt's pocket.

"I never had the courage to give Suzuka's diary to the police. To turn it in or to even turn myself in. To receive my punishment. I've read it from cover to cover. Almost every page, I saw my name. She hated me. She wanted me dead. She wished some unspeakable things to happen to me and my family. I don't blame her, though."

In his mind's eye, Yusuke saw what looked like a thirteen-year-old Keiko wearing Natsuki's glasses walking around in her gym outfit at the same auditorium they were in at the moment.

She couldn't change out of her gym clothes because someone had stolen her uniform. When she went to the bathroom to cry, the stalls had her name and phone number plastered all over their walls. No wonder there had been an increase of prank calls to her house.

"I was amazed. Half of the things written there, I'd already forgotten by the time she died. Then, I began dreaming about her. I couldn't get her out of my mind..."

"MIYAKO-CHAN! Snap out of it! You're scaring me! What are you saying?" Hiromi grabbed hold of her former classmate's thin shoulders and tried to "shake the crazy" out of her.

Yusuke then saw a bucket of water splash all over the Keiko look-alike's body. Throughout the ceremony, she sat there silently at the farthest corner, her wet PE shirt clinging to her body, her underwear showing through the soggy fabric, and not one teacher bothered to help her out. They were too busy with whatever that damned assembly was about.

"Stop it. Enough. It's over! You can't bring her back from the dead!" pleaded Hiromi.

Instead of whimpering in the corner like she usually would've done had Natsuki been there with her, Urameshi saw his vision of a bespectacled Keiko become hysterical.

She screamed like a banshee till her voice sounded like it'd been rubbed raw with sandpaper. The majority of those gathered didn't know how to react. Some laughed. Others ignored her. Still others tried to comfort her, but she lashed out like a wild animal.

"How can you say that knowing full well what I did to her in this very auditorium?" demanded Miyako as she bit her nails and drew more blood on her lower lip. "Why couldn't the police interfere? Why couldn't our teachers do anything? Why wasn't I punished for what I've done? All I got was a slap on the wrist. The teachers even helped me cover it up."

Yusuke wiped his sweaty brow. The images wouldn't stop playing in his mind. Like an infection, the laughter spread. It was cruel, but Suzuka did look ridiculous flailing her arms around and crying "out of nowhere".

Of course, there were those too disturbed to even chuckle. The harder she shrieked, wailed, moaned, and gnashed her teeth, the louder the hoots and guffaws became. It was hard to watch.

After everything was said and done, a young version of Hiromi's friend, Miyako, stood in front of the spent Suzuka and said...

"'Everyone hates you. Wouldn't it be better if you were dead?' was what I told her back then without a second thought. I was only telling her what was in everyone else's minds at the time."

The glassy-eyed Miyako giggled, her golden locks seemingly giving off their own light that made her radiant sapphire eyes stand out all the more.

"U-Urameshi-san, do something...!" said Hiromi.

"You're a monster. What did Suzuka ever do to you to deserve your bullying?" was what Yusuke almost said, but instead someone else took the words right out of his mouth.

"N-Natsuki-chan! What are you doing here?" asked Hiromi.

"..." answered Natsuki. She'd been hiding all that time behind the auditorium door, listening to her former classmates' argument.

For the first time in years, Natsuki gathered enough courage to ask Miyako a question that had been bothering her since they met in grade school.

"Natsuki...?" Yusuke blanched as he saw Puu in Natsuki's arms and the floating, glaring astral projection of Keiko looming above his head like his personal Sword of Damocles. 'Uh oh. I've been busted.'

Miyako answered, "She did nothing to me at all to justify my actions. She was weird. She was one of many people I teased. You were a target of mine too, I guess? Unlike what her deluded diary would indicate, I didn't go out of my way to make her life miserable. It's sad how she had to slip that diary of hers into my bag before she hung herself in her bedroom closet. No one else would've known what she went through otherwise."

Natsuki began to tear up. "H-How can you say that? Even after everything that has happened...!"

"Natsuki-chan! Please! Stay out of this!" Hiromi shouted to her best friend who, for some reason, had a stuffed toy of a... floppy-eared penguin in her hands. "Miyako-chan isn't...!"

"...Underneath all that shyness and social awkwardness, Suzuka-chan was quite pretty. If she only had more confidence in herself, she would've made many friends and stolen the heart of any guy she set her eyes on. What happened to her later is what Cinderella would've gone through had her Fairy Godmother never existed."

Miyako took a piece of paper from Suzuka's diary and crumpled it up. "This is what I've done to Suzuka-chan." She smoothened it out the best she could. "No matter how many times I say sorry, I can never return this paper back the way it was. That's clear to me now."

Miyako threw the paper and diary aside, rummaged through her skirt's pocket, and produced a box cutter.

"MIYAKO-CHAN...!"

Yusuke jumped into action in an instant, grabbing hold of the utility knife before Miyako could hurt herself or others with it. Her ninety-pound frame wasn't going to overpower his even if he didn't possess the blood lineage of the strongest demons in existence.

Miyako reacted in kind, screeching and scratching at him like a cat that been dipped in a tub of boiling water. Didn't this look familiar? Like with Suzuka's breakdown, this scene was also hard to watch.

He knew even without the help of Rando's emphatic Kugai curse that there was nothing he could do to soothe the anguish within this complete stranger's heart as he kept her from slitting her thin wrists, which would end it all in an instant and in a pool of her own blood.

Fortunately for Miyako, instead of jeering classmates and nonplussed teachers, her howls were met with pleas for her to stop by both Natsuki and Hiromi.

Wasn't Yusuke relieved that this time around, nothing supernatural was involved in the case? He was wrong. It'd seem that Suzuka's ghost had been haunting Miyako's mind for a long time.

"Yusuke, I'm going in."

"H-Hey, Keiko, what...?"

Keiko entered Miyako's mind as the beautiful but disturbed blonde girl collapsed into Urameshi's arms. He gently let the teenager lie down on the auditorium floor before snatching the box cutter from her dainty hands and smashing it into pieces with one clench of his mighty fist.

'What the hell was she thinking?' thought Yusuke, not realizing that Keiko merely followed suit with what he did to her three years ago. A ghost could only communicate with the living through dreams, after all.

* * *

Inside the unconscious Miyako's mind...

_Just as Yusuke somehow came up with the disguise necessary to fool Shota into thinking he was some stereotypical, mustache-twirling villain out to dognap Jiro, the little boy's family dog, Keiko too changed her appearance, albeit in a somewhat more involuntary manner._

The look of a ghost mostly depended on the beholder. Sure, for the most part, a soul retained the basic characteristics its body had when it was alive, but certain changes could take place depending on who was perceiving it. This was especially true of a ghost that had lived a long and fulfilling life.

For example, to the parents of a ghost, he typically appeared to them as nothing more than a child, especially if their sharpest memories of him was when he was a child. To his children, he'd instead appear as a parent. To his grandchildren, a grandfather. If he were a prime minister or some other high-ranking official, then he would take the form of his most famous public image to any stranger who knew him only as such.

Thusly, Keiko appeared to this stranger... no, to Hiromi and Natsuki's classmate... the way she wanted herself to appear as and_ the way this Miyako person would probably perceive her had she met her for the first time: The spirit and image of the late..._

"S-Suzuka-ch-chan?" Miyako stuttered, her entire body stiff and her pinkish skin turning alabaster at the mere sight of what she thought was her deceased classmate. "H-Have you come to take me away with you?"

'I didn't think this would actually work. Wow.' Adjusting the glasses and twin ponytails she now somehow had, the bookish, nerdy, and class-representative-looking Keiko took a deep breath (more out of reflex than anything else) and said to the real class representative of 6-A, "Stop this, please."

The trembling and shell-shocked Miyako mustered enough courage to blurt out, "W-What?"

"I forgive you. I've long forgiven you. So please..." was what Keiko tried to get out of her mouth, but the words tasted bitter and felt forced, so all she could manage was a small squeak.

Did Keiko even have the right to do such a thing? Could she forgive Miyako if she were in Suzuka's shoes, after knowing only some of the dreadful things that'd been done to her look-alike?

She tried again to say the words that rung false to her, but they died in her ghostly throat as soon as Miyako spoke the following words:

"Are you in Hell, Suzuka-chan?"

"W-What?" Keiko was at a loss for words. Who did this bitch think she was? How could Miyako say such an unforgivable thing? What kind of a twisted, evil person would say that to someone she might or might not have driven to suicide?

Miyako continued. "Are you suffering in Hell or Purgatory because of me? No ghost who has committed suicide can possibly go to Heaven, I've heard."

Keiko felt her face grow warm even as she and this wicked girl occupied the mysterious and abstract space known as the Dream World, where the hearts and minds of both the living and the dead could congregate freely.

"I've read your diary. You hated me from the bottom of your heart. You wished me dead and much more. You wanted me to feel the same amount of humiliation you felt through the years you've known me. Not that I could blame you."

Keiko fidgeted as Miyako skipped past her then grabbed her from behind, the blonde's hands on her shoulders. "Funny how a few words can lead to a mistake you'll regret beyond your lifetime. This is your chance, though. You're a ghost with a grudge, right? For once in your life, or perhaps your afterlife, focus your anger on me. Drag me to Hell with you."

"W-What?"

What was with this girl? Was she really Hiromi's best friend back in grade school? What was her problem?

"You haven't changed a bit. You're meeker than sheep. Come on. Grow a backbone for once and do to me what you've been fantasizing about all this time, you good-for-nothing ghost!"

"Do you regret everything you've done to me? Are you sorry for driving me to suicide?" Keiko found the voice to ask, unsure of how to treat the raving lunatic behind her.

For the longest time, Miyako couldn't answer. "Kill me."

"If I had the power to do that, I would've already done so."

"So you've decided to haunt my mind instead?"

"That's not my fault."

Miyako began choking the Suzuka proxy.

"KILL ME! Don't you want to see me punished? Do you want me to get away with what I did to you? May God and Buddha help you, you've always been like this! How were you able to survive this long? I'm surprised you were able to go through with your suicide! Dammit, you piss me off so much!"

Keiko turned and felt the ghostly equivalent of her heart stopping and her blood running cold.

For the briefest of moments, she saw an apparition of Seiryu of the Saint Beasts superimpose itself on Miyako's form as panic coursed through her veins or whatever constituted as such for her astral projection.

Keiko pried Miyako's fingers open and gave the blonde a smack to the face. "You think your death will make me happy? You think killing you by my own hands will somehow magically make everything all right? Learn to deal with your own guilt! Don't make me live your own life for you!"

Both girls stayed there in that undefined blank space full of mist while panting heavily, with Keiko standing above the fallen Miyako.

"Listen. I've long ago forgiven you... but not for your sake. I truly did hate you. But even if you weren't guilty of your actions, I'd still forgive you because it's pointless to hold a grudge against you at this point in time."

In all honesty, that was what Keiko imagined Suzuka would say, because she herself, in more ways than one, shared the same predicament.

"I'm surprised you felt guilty enough to do this. If you want to punish yourself further for what you did in the past, then do as you wish. But please, don't make useless gestures like killing yourself in my name. The past is past. Do something positive with your time, for once."

With that, Miyako dropped on all fours and began sobbing. "I-I've done some terrible things, Suzuka-chan..."

* * *

_Back in Sakamoto Grade School's auditorium... _

Miyako's eyes fluttered open, and before her were two of her sobbing former classmates, Natsuki and Hiromi, begging for her to wake up. She looked down and saw herself somehow gripping tightly the worn, creased, and yellowed pages of Suzuka's diary that she threw away earlier.

All three girls whose lives had been touched by the untimely death of their socially awkward classmate embraced each other in reminiscence of her, exchanging apologies to themselves and to Suzuka, wherever she might be; a bittersweet reunion of old friends.

Meanwhile, the will-o'-the-wisp form of Keiko escaped from the bawling Miyako's mouth.

"...Maybe it's about time we burned that damn diary. No offense to Suzuka, but she wrote most of the entries there out of anger and resentment."

"No. Not until Suzuka-chan's parents know the truth. I almost chose the easy way out and took her secret to the grave."

"Ah, jeez. Do what you want."

"Um... Miyako-san..."

"Hmm, what is it, Natsuki-chan?"

"Can I read what's written there too?"

"O-Of course. She wrote a lot of nice things about you."

"Really?"

"Well?" asked Yusuke as soon as Keiko adopted a more humanoid appearance beside him, "How'd it go with the crazy blonde bitch? She's still a total mess now, but at least she sounds saner than before."

"I have no idea. It's all up to her now."

"I see. Fair enough." Yusuke shuffled his cloth-shoed feet as Keiko floated away from him. Was it his imagination or was she giving him the cold shoulder? 'It would be nice if that damn Kugai Rando gave me could clue me in on stuff like that. Worthless piece of shit curse...'

To her surprise, as Keiko scanned the auditorium, she saw her other self floating from a distance: A younger version of her sporting coke-bottle glasses thicker than Natsuki's and her old ponytail hairstyle.

Keiko thought, 'So she has been watching those three all this time.'

Suzuka stuttered hard to say something that the astral projection couldn't hear. Keiko smiled, nodded, and waved. She understood what the apprehensive ghost was saying. "You're welcome, Suzuka-chan. Take care."

Beside Keiko, Sayaka informed, "Although I'm just a trainee, I know this much. It'll be hard for someone who committed suicide to go to Heaven. That girl still has a lot of hardships ahead of her, and she may even end up in the Elysian Fields in order to clear both her bad karma and her bad memories."

Isn't it better for her to forget everything? From what Natsuki-chan told me, all she has are bad memories leading up to her death."

Sayaka looked back at the bawling Hiromi, Natsuki, and Miyako. "Not all her memories are bad, Big Sis. There are things she'd want to remember, but unfortunately, they come packaged with the things she'd rather forget."

The three former schoolmates from Sakamoto Grade School wiped their tears, stood up, went in front of Yusuke, and bowed at him in unison.

"Thank you for helping me out with my personal problems, Urameshi-san!" said Hiromi from the bottom of her heart. "I'm sorry for misjudging your character after all these years... and for slapping you earlier."

"Ah. I don't mind. I had nothing better to do at the moment. I'm glad we were finally able to talk with each other normally." Yusuke thumbed his nose and returned their bows with some of his own.

"Me too! I'm also grateful! Thank you for allowing me to talk to Keiko yesterday, Urameshi-san!" said Natsuki.

"I don't mind. You're welcome."

Thankfully, Hiromi didn't ask _how_ Natsuki talked to the comatose Keiko. 'She really is a blabbermouth.'

"So you're _Urameshi-san_. Thank you for taking care of Hiromi-chan and Natsuki-chan all this time." Instead of bowing, Miyako curtsied.

Meanwhile, a pink-faced Hiromi punched the blonde on the arm and hissed, "Don't put it that way! Don't make it sound like Urameshi-san and I have been hanging out for so long!"

The red-eyed Miyako smirked. "Did I really? I didn't say that. I clearly mentioned both Hiromi-chan _and_ Natsuki-chan. Get your head out of the gutter."

"SHUT UP!"

"Awawawa! Don't fight anymore, you guys!"

'Man, it's been quite a day,' mused Yusuke as Hiromi and Miyako bickered while Natsuki did her best to stop them.

* * *

**To Be Continued...**

_Next: Keiko's third mission._

_May kailangan pa ba akong sabihin?_**_  
_Abdiel**


	32. Chapter 31

_The following was a conversation among old (and new) friends as they went home together... _

"I should've paid more attention to Suzuka-chan. If I had, then none of this would've happened. I abandoned her when she needed me the most. I only wish that she could forgive me from beyond the grave," said Natsuki.

"Natsuki-chan, you're the person who's the least at fault among us three. Stop saying such silly things," said Miyako.

"But I'm the one who hurt her the most, Miyako-san! She would've never considered harming herself if I'd been there for her. I wouldn't be surprised if that's the real reason why she...!" trailed off Natsuki.

"No. No, that's not it. I assure you that it's not the reason," said Miyako.

"Natsuki-chan, I shouldn't have driven her away from you. I'm sorry I acted so cold towards Suzuka, even though she was your best friend for the longest time. I'm sorry for bullying her all that time too," said Hiromi.

"But you changed so much, Hiromi-chan! And you never bullied Suzuka-chan since then," said Natsuki.

"It's all my fault. I've been bullying her all throughout grade school. You two were her closest friends. I shouldn't have said such a thing to her while she was at her lowest," insisted Miyako.

"So you're not going to pull crazy stunts like that anymore, right? Jeez, Miyako-chan, you've always been such a drama queen. How the heck will I be able to face your parents the next time we meet if they found out I almost let you hurt yourself with that box cutter?" asked Hiromi.

"I'm sorry I dragged you into this. You were always there to look out for me, weren't you, Hiromi-chan?" said Miyako with a half-joking eye flutter that made Hiromi gag.

* * *

**Demon Sword**

A Yuyu Hakusho/Rurouni Kenshin Crossover Fan Fiction by Chester Castañeda

Original Concept by Chad Yang

Everything has come full circle.

_Disclaimer: Yuyu Hakusho is the rightful property of Yoshihiro Togashi, Shueisha, Fuji TV, and St. Pierrot. Rurouni Kenshin is the rightful property of Nobuhiro Watsuki, Shueisha, Shonen Jump, Viz, Sony Studios, Fuji TV, Studio Gallup, Studio Deen, and ADV. This disclaimer also covers all the other copyrighted material that are far too many to mention here. Don't sue me please, I'm very poor._

* * *

**Chapter 31: Homework Never Ends (Part 6)**

* * *

_At the Shibuya Station, after Hiromi, Yusuke, Natsuki, and Keiko stopped Miyako's suicide attempt caused by her guilt over driving her classmate Suzuka to the edge... _

"Thanks again, Urameshi-san!" Natsuki waved back at Hiromi and Yusuke before the doors of her train closed, the late Suzuka's worn, dog-eared diary tucked safely underneath her armpit.

Even Puu waved back at the bespectacled female with his tiny flippers while he was cradled by an unseen Sayaka.

On that note, the ferry-girl trainee also bid the nerdy teen farewell by waving her clipboard around... although Natsuki never really met Sayaka and the little girl was invisible anyway.

Miyako had already left long ago, promising to go straight back home to her parents and facing whatever punishment they had in store for her for running away.

Yusuke made it a point to make sure they didn't pass through any art or office supply stores in case the blonde girl considered purchasing another box cutter... a fact that led Hiromi to kick his shin as soon as she found out what he was up to, but better be safe and insensitive than sorry, he always said. At least Miyako got a laugh out of that.

"I guess it's time for you to go too, huh?" Yusuke said to Hiromi for the sake of breaking the ice. After that non-argument they had regarding art supplies, Keiko's friend had been strangely quiet in seeing both her friends off. "Which train will you be taking?"

"Yusuke..." he heard Hiromi beckon.

"Eh?" That was odd. Why was she calling him by his first name? Granted, he only knew her by her first name, but... "What is it, Hiro...?"

His head reeled from the gunshot-like force of the megaton smack that came out of nowhere. The world spun around him, his neck craning as far as it could before he did a midair tumble and landed face-first on the train station platform.

The only other times he experienced such vertigo was when he was punched to near oblivion by Toguro Ototo after killing Genkai, got into a mountain-breaking fist fight with Sensui after he turned into a demon, or when Yomi blasted him with an unnamed youki technique that disintegrated his shirt and nearly broke the floating island they were fighting on at the time in half.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR?" Yusuke screamed minutes after the fact; he only regained his bearings that exact moment. "You're not still mad about the box cutter thing, are you?"

"You're insufferable, you jackass! Who the hell do you think I am?"

Wait. Something wasn't right. Hiromi had already hit him before, and she hit like a girl (Well, duh). The slap he received just now didn't come from any ordinary girl. That forehand that won many a volleyball game was unmistakable.

"KEIKO! When did you possess poor Hiromi's body?" exclaimed Yusuke before he glared at the innocently whistling Sayaka and the ear-flapping spirit beast. "And you! Why didn't you tell me what was going on?"

Sayaka made an apologetic chopping motion with her clipboard. "Big Sis gestured at me to keep quiet, Big Bro! Sorry!"

"Hiromi" squeezed her face as though she had sucked a lemon and shook her throbbing hand around as if she were swatting imaginary flies. "Man, that hurt, but it felt good too! It's been a while since I was able to do that."

While pokerfaced, Yusuke quipped, "I hope you realize how perverted that sounded," as he got up.

He promptly went down again after his girlfriend used Hiromi's knee to crush his testicles. It didn't matter if you were A-Level and above, a groin attack _ hurt_. This was a universal truth. In order to not get sidetracked any further, Keiko went straight to the point with her ensuing tirade.

"You have some nerve acting all nonchalant after ditching me and Natsuki-chan back at the cafe! What's the big idea? How can I not be angry after what you did earlier? Isn't my getting good karma by helping all the poor unfortunate souls out there the whole point of our ghost-busting missions? Even if what we dealt with earlier wasn't technically 'supernatural', you could've at least told me so instead of leaving in a huff with one of my friends!"

Oh. So that was what she was angry about... Of course, Urameshi knew _exactly_ why he left Keiko alone with Natsuki and Puu to finish a mission that turned out to be a non-supernatural-related wild goose chase by himself. It was because of what Gein, one of the Chojin's many lackeys, told him at the roof of the hospital where Keiko stayed.

Gein claimed that the missions they were going through at present were all for nothing. The circumstances behind Yusuke's death and Keiko going comatose were totally different, and exposing Yukimura's tainted astral projection to other ghosts would only help spread her bad karma and jaki everywhere.

"That was a pretty good slap. It really woke me up. It's been a while since you gave me one of those whoppers, Keiko. It _really_ takes me back."

"What? _That's_ your answer? I demand an explanation, mister!" Despite herself, Keiko blushed through Hiromi's puffed-up cheeks. 'Has it really been that long?'

"What's there to explain? I'm a dumbass. I'm a leap-before-you-look kind of guy."

He was an idiot for believing Gein's lies. Although the path to recovering Keiko from the brink of death and despair was fraught with peril, she never once gave up, and somehow, she was able to fulfill her missions regardless of their challenges.

"Bad karma" his ass. If there was anyone who could get out of this predicament and turn around her misfortune into something positive, then it was Keiko Yukimura.

Yusuke got up on shaky legs and dusted himself off. "I thought you couldn't handle yourself with your missions to collect good karma, but you proved me wrong twice already. I'm glad you're acting more like yourself. Let's keep on doing our best from now on so that you can finally wake up."

For a couple of minutes or so, Keiko was at a loss for words. "W-What's with this change in attitude? And wipe that stupid grin off your face! Are you making fun of me? Are you some sort of masochist?"

Yusuke chuckled. "Oh, Keiko, can you please leave Hiromi's body already? It's already dark, and she should be home by now."

"F-Fine."

Hiromi blinked. "What just happened, Urameshi-kun? Where are we? Why does my hand hurt?"

"You blanked out there for a couple of minutes, Hiromi! You must've had a lot on your mind. We've already sent Miyako and Natsuki off. It's about time you got home too."

"Yeah, you're right. My head feels light and warm. I hope I'm not coming down with anything."

"Well, a lot of things happened today. It must be stress-related."

"Why are you acting so happy all of a sudden? Did something good happen while I was out of it?"

"Heh. You could say that."

From behind Hiromi and Yusuke, Keiko's skin glowed like a neon-pink fluorescent bulb while Sayaka hid her giggles by pressing her face behind Puu's back.

* * *

_Early Friday morning at a small apartment tucked away somewhere in Ueno District's Taito Ward... _

He was in his room, staring at a door with a 1989 anime wall scroll calendar he wouldn't throw away and replace with a newer one because of how well-made it was (or so he told himself). His odd job as a convenience store clerk wouldn't start until the nightshift, and the sun was still up.

He didn't even bother looking at the clock hanging to the left of the door because it was broken, its face perpetually stating it was eight o'clock. Not that he needed to know the time anymore, but still. Besides which, at least it told the correct time twice in a given day.

'Stupid clock. I should fix that,' he always noted to himself even though he never did. He never bothered with clocks or watches. He just went to his nightshift work at the convenience store when nighttime came and lounged around until his shift arrived. He had nothing better to do.

"What had become of my life?" was what he would've asked had he still cared about the current state of his so-called existence. At the far left of his basement was a wall full of scholastic relics from his childhood: Spelling bee trophies, books about Turbo Pascal and Turbo Basic, a retro Epson QX-10, his three-year-old MSX TurboR, stacks of three-inch floppy disks filled with programs and games, and so forth.

On his immediate right were cartridges full of Famicom and Super Famicom games as well as imported NES and SNES games; an entire library of them, in fact. At the center of the room was his television set, a Betamax unit, a VHS player, a Laser Disc player, and a CD player as well as his Famicom, NES, Super Famicom, and SNES gaming consoles.

Below that were a variety of wires, a surge protector, and octopus connections galore linking his different consoles and video players together. Tucked away in the far left corner of his room was a cupboard, fridge, electric oven, stove, plates, cups, tray, and sink; a kitchen that barely took up a fraction of the space that his collection did.

Behind him were stacks of comic books and volumes of manga series featuring lighthearted romantic comedies. The remaining nooks and crannies of his room including the uppermost shelves were filled with VHS tapes, Betamax tapes, and laser discs of his favorite animated series, with a small portion of them housing live-action films both local and foreign.

'Speaking of which, I haven't contacted the Twin Otaku yet. Then again, after that scandal their family went through because of their brother, I'd rather not.'

By "Twin Otaku", he meant the two rich high school kids from Shinjuku Yamabuki High who shared his interests in computers, gaming, and anime: Akahito and Ennosuke Shimamura. They were two of five quintuplet brothers, in fact.

He wasn't privy with the details surrounding the incident, but he did watch the news coverage and the case's supposed connection with the infamous Kanji Killer. Even though the suspected boys' names weren't publicly released by the media because they were minors, most of the people who knew the Shimamuras figured out that it was the quintuplets who were involved.

The Shimamura Brothers were among the mainstays of the Akihabara (also known as Akiba) scene, and they had an even wider collection of otaku-related goodies that put his to shame because their father was a steel and construction magnate; they had an unfair advantage in disposable income and all that.

Even if he were to sacrifice food and rent for the sake of games, tapes, and software (and he already was doing just that anyway), he still couldn't match their gigantic collections.

Akahito was arguably the nerdiest and most dedicated of the three otaku. He particularly specialized in collecting Gundam series garage kits (also known as resin kits that were basically do-it-yourself polyurethane scale model figurines portraying various living creatures or other pop culture icons that need to be assembled and painted by hand) and the latest anime shows available.

The largest tape collection Akahito ever had were of the different Gundam shows (a must for any avid Japanese animation fan), or at least the serious ones not featuring the "Super Deformed" style. He had been looking forward to taping the latest Gundam series to be shown in the coming month because it had been roughly two years since the last show was broadcast, and it was going to be directed by his favorite director to boot.

Nevertheless, the Shimamura quintuplet whom the store clerk could relate to the most was Ennosuke. It was simply because, like him, he was (at least, until recently) more interested in animated love comedies and harem anime, which were shows that the far too serious and Char-obsessed Akahito would usually scoff at as garbage that was "killing" the local animation industry.

"The only worthwhile anime shows right now are the best of the Gundam series and Legend of the Galactic Heroes! You're collecting stuff made for little kids and girls!" Akahito would insist. However, his fellow otaku brother paid him no heed.

From Urusei Yatsura to Kimagure Orange Road, Ennosuke had them all, tirelessly compiling every animated romantic comedy known to man and buying the official release VHS tapes whenever possible.

Meanwhile, half of the tapes that the Taito resident had were loaned, borrowed and never returned, or otherwise recorded and pirated on a separate videotape from the Shimamura quintuplet's own respective collections.

'Akahito typically looked down on our obsession with 2D Love... and he shouldn't be one to speak, seeing his own protectiveness of the character Sayla Mass when we speak ill of her. What was there to _not_ like about two-dimensional fictional women who didn't exist in the real world?'

It was this air of whimsy that attracted Ennosuke and the store clerk to such perfect girls in the first place. They were unlike their flesh-and-bone counterparts who could never be as cute, stunning, flawless, ageless, demure, beautiful, shy, fanciful, quirky, and perfect as they were.

If it were only possible to marry 2D Girls, he would do so in a heartbeat.

The doorbell began ringing. Dammit, he didn't want to get up. His head was throbbing from last night's overnight Sailor Moon marathon. Could they just go away? Maybe if he kept quiet, they'd leave...

As his eyes traveled to the floor, he saw the brochure regarding a special gathering place in Aokigahara he got from Ennosuke's other quintuplet, Houjo, and a business card belonging to a certain "Earth Club" organization.

Where did it all go wrong?

When he was a child, his life was filled with disappointments. His high expectations and the disappointing reality never ceased to cause him grief. He wasn't able to get great grades. He barely made any friends. He fell in love with his Science Club advisor ten years his senior although she already had a boyfriend and she was a grunge chick who was out of his league to boot. His childhood crush was taken away from him by a far superior rival as well.

Were those valid enough reasons for him to get stuck in this goddamn rut? Whatever happened to his intentions of going to Tokyo University? Whatever happened to cram school? Whatever happened to getting a job in the promising field of information technology? When was the last time he went out aside for part-time work?

Maybe it was after his parents cut him off their will upon discovering that he had long abandoned his dreams of entering any university and had become a NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training) subsisting on cup ramen, anime, and lies.

When exactly did he start getting obsessed about anime love comedies anyway? It all started because the girl who dumped him for a six-footer hunk of a man with deductive skills to rival that of Sherlock Holmes incidentally watched those shows quite a lot, and it became a habit of his as well. Yes, it was as pathetic as it sounded.

* * *

_As the trio of an astral projection, a half-mazoku, and a spirit beast (Sayaka had already gone back to the Spirit World to report their latest exploits) made their way back to the Urameshi ramen cart in order to handle the deluge of late-shift, drunkard customers... _

"Ah, Puu! Don't eat that ramen! That's for the customer, you stupid bird!" Yusuke berated his spirit beast as he made another fresh batch of ramen anyway. "Go play with Keiko for now!"

"Yusuke, you should go home and rest. Skip the late shift. Don't overdo it," Keiko said, her anger at her boyfriend's earlier transgressions replaced with worry over his health.

"I don't feel tired at all," reassured Yusuke as he turned his back on his customers and talked to his girlfriend's ghost. "Stop being such a worrywart. Those hospital bills won't pay themselves, y'know."

"Oh. Is that so? Excuse me then." Keiko bowed her head and smoothened the last dress she wore before she was attacked and rendered a vegetable by Seiryu. "I'm sorry to be a bother."

Yusuke patted Keiko on the head and ruffled her hair... or at least the area it occupied, since she was untouchable. "Some people don't die even if they're killed. I believe you're one of those people. I wasn't able to kick Seiryu's ass for you, so the best way to pay him back is to make sure you lift his curse!"

Keiko hid her face away from her boyfriend and grabbed her warm cheeks. Who knew Yusuke could be so... dependable? Then again, wasn't he the person who was always there to rescue her whenever her life was in danger? He never really changed in that regard.

He then grabbed hold of the area her ghostly butt occupied, which prompted her to lift a rock and pummel him with it. After Yusuke climbed to his ramen stand's counter with a bloody grin on his face, his customers started paying their bills.

"We'll be going now. Keep the change."

"Thanks for your generosity, Mister Customer! Come again!"

"Who was he talking to back from behind the counter anyway?"

"Who knows? I don't care. His ramen is delicious."

"What a weirdo."

"Excuse me."

"Welcome to our humble establishment! May I take your order?" greeted Urameshi automatically while wiping his bleeding face with a towel. His eyes then bugged out at what he saw.

Who was this svelte woman with thin-rimmed glasses that made Natsuki's spectacles look like binoculars? She looked around Shizuru's age or maybe older, Yusuke reckoned.

Although dejected, stressed-out office drones serving as Yusuke's customers were par for the course at this late an hour, working girls wandering around in ramen shops in their lonesome was a rare or even nonexistent sight. 'Or maybe she's a streetwalker...?'

"Would you mind if I just hang out here for a bit?" asked the bespectacled beauty with a wink. "I'm not really hungry right now."

"I don't mind at all. What's a pretty young lady like you doing out here so late in the evening?"

"'Young', eh? You're too kind, kid."

Yukimura sighed, her arms crossed as Urameshi talked to the mysterious, purple-haired woman with cute glasses.

"Aloise."

"Eh?"

The junior-librarian-looking female put her elbows on the counter, then put her hands on her cheeks. "My name is Aloise."

"Alice? Sounds foreign," remarked Yusuke. If that was the case, then this was the second gaijin-looking girl he'd met in one day. Where were all these tourists coming from? However, she didn't look anywhere as foreign as the blonde, blue-eyed, and nuttier-than-a-fruitcake Miyako.

"No, no. It's Aloise."

"Eloisa?"

"Aloise."

"Elisa?"

"Aloise."

"Louisa?"

"Yes."

"Really?"

"No."

Aloise giggled, and Yusuke followed suit. 'What are we laughing about?' he thought. He then felt a chill down his spine from behind him. "Ah, Keiko... It's not..."

"It's _Aloise_, Yusuke. You know, like the name of the girl Nello fell in love with in the Dog of Flanders series," informed Keiko while pinching her boyfriend's ear.

After recuperating from the aural assault, Yuske confessed, "The only thing I remember about that cartoon is the dog and the boy both died. So sad... Poor Patrash and Nello," as he wiped a tear from his eye.

"It's not just an anime! The story came from a book, you illiterate boob!"

"What are you doing there, all huddled up and whispering at the darkness?" Aloise asked with a smirk.

"Oh, just thinking aloud, Lisa."

"Oh, we're back to _that_, huh?" Aloise's lips curved upward.

"So tell me, why is a teenaged brat like yourself working at a ramen cart during the midnight shift? Don't you have school tomorrow? Did you impregnate your girlfriend, so you're now forced to support your love child?"

Keiko's face turned as bright as a train station light, as though she were warning pedestrians of an approaching train. "L-L-Love child? I-I-Impregnate?"

"HEY! Knock it off. I don't go to high school because I chose not to go. I'll have you know that I learned more from the school of hard knocks than nine years of sitting around in boring, old, and dusty classrooms!" Urameshi retorted.

"So you _chose_ to become a ramen cook? Well now, that changes everything! Congratulations on your career in the food service industry."

With flared nostrils and a scowl, Urameshi yelped, "What's it to you? Cooking is a noble profession, and I'm not the bookworm type. Got a problem with that?"

"Not at all. Lower your expectations, find happiness, I always say."

As Yusuke cocked his fist back at the woman with tears in his eyes (the same reaction he had when Botan revealed that his self-sacrifice to save a boy from being run over by a car was pointless because the child was fated to remain unharmed with or without his help), Keiko spoke up.

"Yusuke doesn't need to finish high school or college to be a contributing member of society! Don't you dare look down on him because he isn't going to some fancy high school and has no plans of going to college! There's more to a person than his grades!"

Even Yusuke was moved by the impassioned outburst Keiko gave. The ghost girl then covered her mouth and slinked away from the scene. 'Ah, what am I saying? Of course she can't hear me.'

The bright glint on Aloise's glasses hid her facial expression from the couple. "Well said. I get it now. I apologize for being so facetious. I'm sure you're a wonderful cook, Yusuke-kun."

His mouth flat and his face frozen, Yusuke uttered, "What. Faucet? Delicious?"

"Please don't prove your girlfriend wrong," berated Aloise with narrowed eyes and a scowl.

"Yusuke, facetious means she didn't mean what she said right now," informed Keiko, which prompted Yusuke to nod and say, "I see."

A pregnant pause occurred. It was so quiet that the flap of moth wings could be heard all around as the insects flew towards the nearby lights of buzzing streetlamps. A dog also howled from a distance.

The pair did a spit-take as pots, pans, and other cooking utensils clattered everywhere. "Eh? EH? You can hear Keiko talk?"

Aloise shrugged. "Yeah. I heard her talk. She can hear me talk too, so why can't I hear her?"

"B-But she's a..." Urameshi trailed off.

"It's perfectly all right." Aloise grabbed Yusuke's hand and thrust it straight into her heaving breasts. Instead of grabbing anything soft and plump, it instead passed right through her, as though he were stabbing her chest. "See? I'm a ghost too."

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" screamed Keiko.

"Don't feel insecure. It took me a while to get them as big as this."

"IIYAA!"

Then, for the first time ever, a pot and a kettle joined forces to defeat a common foe instead of bickering over their own faults and hypocrisies, clanging repeatedly on Urameshi's head as though it were New Year's Eve and they were out to scare off (ironically enough) ghosts with loud noises.

"LET HER GO! LET HER GO NOW!"

"Dammit, Keiko, I'm not really touching anything but air! Technically speaking."

"Ouch! Keiko-chan, that really smarts!"

Surprisingly, Keiko was fair but firm in the sense that she also slapped Aloise for pulling such a lewd stunt. Ghost-to-ghost contact proved possible, so her slap made impact. To Keiko's chagrin, the glowing hand mark on the mischievous spirit's face didn't faze her one bit.

"You two are so cute! Ah, young love," the glasses-wearing, bobcut-sporting soul drawled at the lively couple, specifically at Urameshi. "Hey, Keiko-chan... Can I borrow your boyfriend for a little bit? I have a favor to ask him."

"NO! ABSOLUTELY NOT! Only heaven knows what you're going to do to him!" was Keiko's instantaneous answer as she grabbed hold of her significant other, unaware that she was separating soul from body by doing so.

Consequently, Yusuke's flame-like soul began leaking out of his mouth. The black-and-blue teenager then grabbed and stretched his face as though it were a rubbery mask. "Don't you think you've already caused enough trouble, Elise?" he weakly asked.

Aloise exhaled through one of her nostrils despite having no actual, functional lungs to speak of. "You're never going to get my name right, are you?"

* * *

_Early Friday morning at a small apartment tucked away somewhere in Ueno District's Taito Ward, around noon or so... _

That doorbell grated on the store clerk's nerves, so he picked up the Aokigahara brochure and looked sightlessly at it while his mind wandered elsewhere.

Then again, in retrospect, it was no wonder he was desperately clinging to the ideal of pure love from a fictional character who always had the purest of intentions, an innocent outlook, and a untainted heart that appreciated every gesture of kindness provided to her by the protagonist.

A 2D girl was never uncouth, ugly, plain, vengeful, disgusting, imperfect, scary, or petty, and even if she were, she'd do it in a manner that made her quirky instead of flawed.

She was never driven by lust, and even if the protagonist wasn't the most handsome or dashing of heroes, she'd still fall for him because of how much he loved her and how much he was willing to sacrifice to be with her.

What a bunch of bull.

'Purity of love? Virginal, perfect, and immaculate girls? Don't make me laugh. Girls are just as immature, petty, and flawed as boys in more ways than one.'

What was love anyway? Not the song, but the concept. This so-called thing called love was either driven by the universal instinct of humans to mate for the continued survival of the species or was nothing more than the effect of dopamine that came from A10 neurons.

Anyway, the purity of the store clerk's love for 2D was quickly exposed as false as soon as a depressed Ennosuke started collecting cuckolding adult animation videos, novels, and comics while he was having girl troubles with one of the students at his school.

After the store clerk watched a cuckolding adult anime about a girl who got caught cheating with another man she had sex with every weekend by her childhood sweetheart made him realize how shallow his affections for these fantasy females were. He hated them since then.

The way she ground her hips as her lover thrust himself into her was in stark contrast to how listless and stiff she was when having sex with her actual boyfriend.

The bitch, after getting caught, even had the audacity to whine and cry about how her lover never smiles at her like her boyfriend did. The ending wherein the girl killed the boyfriend after discovering she was pregnant, only to find out later that it was the baby of her other lover, which prompted her to live happily ever after with him, practically made his heart sink right into his stomach.

Before he noticed it, the doorbell had stopped ringing. 'Finally. Some peace and quiet.' His mind wandered again as he tossed the brochure and business card aside.

The cuckolding genre of erotic anime and manga was a controversial topic among the Akiba denizens. Those virgins claim that it was somehow wrong and disgusting, even for a medium that encouraged such bizarre fetishes as tentacle rape and plain-old rape. Provoking sexual jealousy among a crowd of losers that had no right to feel such things made him laugh so hard, he could cry.

After watching the notorious cuckolding tape, he completely understood why it had such an impact on him. It was a lot more brutally honest than his previous escapist experiences with childish 2D Love. It made the concept of pure love a joke that he could never take seriously. The pain of betrayal was a lot more real to him than flights of fancy over girls that didn't even exist.

For one thing, how many times had he masturbated to the 2D girls he so adored, imagining them turn into sex-crazy sluts desperate for his attention? This wasn't the first animated dirty movie he watched. For another thing, why did her betrayal of the main character turned him on so much when he first watched it?

He voraciously consumed each and every cuckold anime, manga, light novel, and not-so-light novel he could get his hands on, which meant reading several (Japanese-translated) works that probably started the whole movement, such as "Venus in Furs" by Leopold Ritter von Sacher-Masoch (the Father of Masochism) and "The Confessions of Wanda von Sacher-Masoch" by Sacher-Masoch's wife, Aurora von Rumelin, who revealed how her husband made her do forced cuckolding sessions with various men while he watched.

One positive thing that these cuckolding videos, comic books, and books had on him was how they helped him get out of his shell and start talking to real-life, three-dimensional women. Why be afraid of getting your heart broken when your fetish was exactly that?

He reveled in talking to and chatting up women, particularly those who were out of his league or already attached to someone else. He entered the so-called friend zone with ease and willingness. He even cleaned himself up and attended group dates.

He met and befriended many girls with boyfriends, got rejected by them, stalked them, watched them have intimate relations with their lovers, and pleasured himself to the forbidden private scenes while remembering the innocent conversations he had with them earlier.

If the mere sight of him creeped them out enough before he could get to steps two to five, all the better; he had his heart crushed from the start. Before long, he craved the feeling of having his feelings trampled by others.

He had become a masochist, and not the kind who was into bondage and S&M play; the pain he longed for was emotional, the kind that made his heart sink and exposed how much of a worthless, pathetic worm he truly was.

He always knew that there was something wrong with him. But it was okay. It was a victimless crime, wasn't it?

Whoever it was that rung the doorbell was knocking at his door this time around.

"Go away. I don't want any." He picked up the brochure and business card with his forearm and frowned before stretching his long sleeves to hide the multiple scars.

"Please open up." It was a small, gentle female voice. "I need to talk to you, Kurogane Makoto-kun."

How did she know his name? Curious, he opened the door.

A chestnut-haired angel with fierce, sharp brown eyes, a gentle smile, and a stuffed penguin with spiky hair and flopping bunny ears appeared before him.

* * *

"You want me to do _what_? That's a rather tall order, ghost lady. All this after insulting my choice in careers, no less!" said Yusuke with a smirk and a shake of his head while he went about closing his ramen stand after the nightshift was finally over.

Aloise bowed low on the ground, taking care not to pass through the concrete because of her ghostly constitution. "Please accept my humble apologies for my terrible joke earlier, Teenaged Ramen Cook Supreme, Master of the Culinary Arts!"

Urameshi's eyebrow twitched. Why were her apologies pissing him off even more than her direct insults? "Now listen here...!"

The proposition that the bespectacled Aloise offered to Keiko and Yusuke entailed helping her save the life of a grown man... a ronin who failed his university exams and had turned into a reclusive hikikomori NEET at that... who contemplated suicide because of her dumping him for another guy, or so she claimed.

"He already attempted to take his life twice. I don't want it to become three times the charm," Aloise said.

She'd heard about Reikai's spirit detectives and ghosts doing good deeds for other ghosts in order to get a chance at revival or redemption.

Coincidentally, a few months later that year, the movie "Hearts and Souls" starring Robert Downey Junior would tackle that same premise.

However, in order for Yusuke to somehow keep Makoto from intentionally kicking the bucket, he had to dress in drag and pretend to be a woman because... Aloise apparently hated his guts at first sight or something. He had no clue.

"Why should I dress in drag? Why can't I just pummel this creep you dumped until he begs me to spare his life?" asked Yusuke. "Why do we even need a girl?"

"Because he's taken a dark turn, and the only people he's been responding to positively these past few weeks were women. It can't be helped," explained Aloise.

"Why couldn't Kurama be the girl? I bet he'd be better than me at cross-dressing. He already halfway looks like a girl," said Urameshi.

Keiko reasoned, "You saw how scary Kurama got the last time the topic came up. Besides, he's kind of busy with Chojin-related stuff right now, isn't he?"

Yusuke grumbled; the last time someone was required to cross-dress for a mission, he was the one who ended up doing it (see Yuyu Hakusho Volume 19 Chapter 171 for further details).

"I don't want to dress up in drag... again," Yusuke stated plainly.

Keiko tugged at her boyfriend's sleeve and, as soon as he turned towards her, looked at him with wide, moist puppy-dog eyes. "Can you do this for me? Saving a person's life will get me good karma, right?"

Dammit, Keiko. "Okay," Yusuke grumbled before something important occurred to him. "Wait. We can't do this."

Keiko pouted. "Why not?"

"If I'm the one who saves this guy's life, then you're not the one who'll receive the good karma, right?" he pointed out.

"Oh." The couple had already explained the details surrounding their good deeds to ghosts (gather good karma for Keiko to overcome the negative energy surrounding her astral body), although they didn't reveal the cause of it (an old enemy of the Spirit World came back from the dead blah, blah, blah...).

After a few minutes, Yusuke grabbed Keiko (or beckoned her to follow the direction of his closed fist lest it passed through her wrist) and said to Aloise, "I guess that's that. It was nice knowing you, Aloe Vera or whoever. Good luck saving that guy whose life you ruined!"

"H-Hey, wait a minute! At least get my name right!" This time it was Aloise who had a pair of googly eyes.

Yusuke "let go" of his girlfriend and harrumphed. "I'm just kidding. There's a way for me to help out while letting Keiko gather positive karma for herself... and it's called spiritual possession."

Aloise beamed. "That's right! She can possess your body for about thirty minutes and talk Makoto-kun out of committing suicide! That's brilliant! As expected of our resident Einstein! What? Don't give me that look, I'm actually praising you!"

Yusuke turned his head away and snorted. "If you really want me to go save your ex from offing himself, then why not have an actual girl do it? Maybe Keiko should possess another girl instead of going through the trouble of making me cross-dress! That actually makes a lot more sense than your half-baked plan, Lois!"

Aloise tapped a finger on her lips. "That's because Mako-kun is a bit of a pervert. Are you really comfortable with the idea of having him jump on your girlfriend while she's inside a female body? No self-respecting boyfriend would. Besides, you'd be troubling some other girl too by making Keiko possess her."

"And having him jumping on _my_ dick is somehow okay, you crazy bitch? NO SELF-RESPECTING MAN WILL EVER SACRIFICE HIS BODY TO ANOTHER DUDE UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES EITHER!"

* * *

_Early Friday morning at a small apartment tucked away somewhere in Ueno District's Taito Ward, around noon or so... _

"Hello, I'm Kei... Yu... Yukiko. It's nice to meet you, Makoto-kun," said Keiko while controlling the body of her (surprisingly cute as a female) cross-dressing boyfriend.

The half-demon wore Keiko's uniform from Daiichi All-Girls High School (an outfit he sold to some middle-aged weirdo after his girlfriend stiffed him on the bill for the same mission where he was tasked to cross-dress) and a brown wig.

It never ceased to amaze and aggravate Keiko how Yusuke's muscular frame could somehow fit through her clothes.

"..." Makoto stood there, his cheeks as red as an apple and his body shaking like a leaf.

'Ugh. Keiko. He's totally checking us out and fantasizing about my body naked. He can't take his eyes off my chest, my legs, or the hem of your skirt,' said Yusuke from within his mind, speaking from experience.

'Yup, I've seen that perverted look before,' replied Keiko as she rolled Yusuke's half-lidded eyes while Makoto was lost in Lala Land. She asked, 'Why are you still conscious, Yusuke? When spirits possess living beings, shouldn't the original soul be unconscious or something?'

Urameshi did the mental equivalent of a shrug. 'Must be my demon blood or Rando's Kugai curse. Who knows? I sure _wish_ I was unconscious right now.' The freelance Spirit World Detective blanched.

'Gross, he's drooling now! If he lays a hand on us, he'll be eating through a straw for the rest of his life.'

'R-Relax, Yusuke. _I'm_ kind of eating through a straw right now, you know,' reminded Keiko with a blush and a downtrodden look on the cross-dressing Yusuke's face that sent its unintended recipient, Makoto, into convulsions.

'T-Through no fault of your own. It'll be his fault if that's how he ends up as after I'm done with him,' was Yusuke's lame attempt at covering for his insensitivity.

From above them, both Aloise and their designated ferry-girl, a rather bemused Sayaka, ("Why is Big Bro in a dress? How is this going to help Big Sis's karma? Can somebody explain to me what's going on?" the seemingly ten-year-old soul reaper had asked Aloise in vain) urged them on.

"Go right in before he asks too many questions!" said Aloise.

"I'm sorry for intruding!" Keiko pushed her way through the apartment with ease as Makoto fell to the floor like axed timber. He at last found the confidence to demand, "Who are you? What do you want? How do you know my name?" although his voice still cracked in the end.

They bumped into each other and landed in a compromising position wherein Yusuke's crotch was right atop Makoto's nose.

'Oh, my underwear! I mean, Yusuke's underwear! I mean, my underwear that Yusuke's wearing!' Keiko felt "Yukiko's" cheeks grow warmer and warmer as all the blood rushed to his head and other... extremities.

'What if he sees Yusuke's 'thing'? We'll be done for! Wait, I'm inside Yusuke's body, which means... his thing...!'

'Hey, Keiko! It's called a penis. On that note, stop thinking about... it!' cried Yusuke from within his consciousness.

'LIKE I ACTUALLY WOULD!' Yusuke's nose started to bleed, disproving Keiko's innocence. 'W-What's going on? Yusuke, why is your... thing... swelling up? You pervert!'

'Y-Y'know why, you idiot! It's reacting to hearing a girl talk about it! Like I said, stop fantasizing about my penis!' yelped Yusuke.

'THEN STOP TALKING ABOUT IT, YOU IMBECILE!' cried Keiko.

Yusuke's pupils dilated and his nose flared as a private memory between him and Keiko replayed itself in his mind from his girlfriend's point of view. 'Oh. You like it when I do _that_, huh...'

"IIYYAA!" Keiko got up and slapped the person nearest her, which unfortunately meant instant pain for Makoto, the guy they were supposed to rescue.

On the bright side, the random act of violence spared the reclusive nerd from having an up-close-and-personal look at Urameshi's salami surprise.

Like in Disney's Dumbo, Puu flapped his floppy ears to fly before landing atop Makoto's head. "Puu!" He chirped while he rubbed his feet on the guy's messy morning hair. "...A-And is your stuff toy alive? W-We don't allow pets in the building!"

'This guy in particular is quite easy to read. Just look at the junk inside his room; they're all tapes and comics about animated romantic comedies. He's also a bit of a nerd. Reminds me of my grade school friend, Suekichi,' said Yusuke telepathically to Keiko while retrieving Puu from Makoto's noggin (to learn more about Matsuo Suekichi, read Yuyu Hakusho Volume 2 Chapters 15-16).

The surprisingly androgynous half-demon then stated aloud in a pinched, Michael-Jackson-like voice quite unlike Keiko's intonation, "This is a... stuffed toy imported from America! It's quite realistic and cute, isn't it? It's actually a prototype, and it's expected to hit stores around five years from now, after they've worked out its bugs."

"I-I see." Makoto again stumbled around, murmuring to himself, "What's going on?" while "Yukiko" invited himself in and slipped into the nearest house slippers he could find at the entrance of the apartment.

'Now what?' Keiko asked no one in particular, but her boyfriend answered her question anyway.

'Act cute and cuddly. Men are simpleminded creatures. Right now, he's shocked that an actual female entered his apartment. He's also confused why a sweet-sounding girl like yourself would insist on entering his abode, so the idiot may get the wrong idea and try to get into your... well, _my_ underpants.'

'Act cute and cuddly? You actually think I can do that at the drop of a hat? Honestly.' Nevertheless, Keiko gave it the old college try.

"H-Hi, Makoto-kun. I just came here because..." She scanned the room using her boyfriend's eyes and twenty-twenty vision, locking on to a brochure underneath the recluse's feet. She grabbed hold of it immediately. "B-Because of that! I'm an agent for this... company."

"Yukiko's" eyes turned into saucers as Keiko and Yusuke read the contents of the brochure, which hinted at an all-expenses-paid trip straight to Aokigahara, which was Japan's Sea of Trees or, as it was more infamously known, the Suicide Forest. It was called as such because it was a popular place for suicides since... forever.

Aokigahara was located on Mount Fuji's northwest base, and it was commonly associated with the youkai of Japanese Folklore. Incidentally, according to Hinageshi and her encyclopedic knowledge of all things supernatural, the creepy forest had portals leading straight to Reikai's Purgatorial Sector and right in the middle of Makai's Gandhara, which was the city that Yomi (one of the former Three Kings) himself founded.

What kind of sick and disturbed travel agency booked vacations to grisly places like Aokigahara?

Keiko looked over Yusuke's shoulder and saw Aloise with a blank, neutral expression on her bespectacled face while from behind her, Sayaka flipped on the pages of her own Book of Fate to probably learn more about this Makoto fellow.

'This is a suicide pact,' Yusuke and Keiko realized.

"You're from the Earth Club, huh?" Makoto's shoulders slumped as he sighed while nodding to himself. "I'm surprised at how organized you people are regarding this... business. I guess you're all used to this by now. Come on, Yukiko-san. Take a seat over there while I make tea."

"Uh, Makoto-kun..." Yukiko began.

"I haven't made up my mind on whether I'm going to that meeting or not. Maybe we can talk it over, if you don't mind?" informed a calmer Makoto with a faint smile.

"S-Sure. Thank you. Sorry for the trouble," said Yukiko while taking a seat on the couch right in front of the television.

"It's no trouble at all, I assure."

'That's surprising. He went from a drooling reclusive pervert who can barely talk to girls without stuttering to a rather nice and amiable fellow,' thought Yusuke, and Keiko replied, 'Maybe it's the likelihood of death that suddenly made him so brave.'

Yukiko froze as Makoto sniffed the air around the brunette, waving his hands towards his face and letting the scent of perfume waft through his widened nostrils.

'I take it back. He's a total pervert. Maybe we should let him die.'

* * *

'Could it be? Could this be real? What is this cute, tomboyish girl doing in my room? Her voice is so angelic!' was what Makoto initially thought before discovering the insistent tomboy's true intentions. Her build reminded him of the bodies of women volleyball players or swimmers; slight yet smoothly muscular.

She also smelled of a mix of perfume (just a hint of it) and... men's cologne? A perfect blend of masculinity and femininity; it was quite intoxicating. On the other hand, there was one other reason in his head why a girl would smell like men's cologne. She probably had a boyfriend.

Although she was a bit rough around the edges, she still sounded so sweet and innocent. Then again, he had to wonder how many times had she been ravaged by her lover? Was she really all that pure, or was it all an act she used against men to manipulate them or hide her own flaws through their fantasies?

Maybe he could hit on her and then get slapped or even jailed as she called him a disgusting pig that no woman would ever want. Or, if he were lucky, she'd act friendly towards him until his heart got the wrong idea, and then one day, in the hotel district, he could peep on her while she had a raunchy rendezvous with the man she truly loved.

Ah. His newly formed bad habit shone through again. There was no time for that. The nice lady went all the way to his apartment to talk business, after all.

Yukiko bit her lip and looked at Makoto as though he stripped nude and poured oil all over his body then and there.

'Was it something I said?' he speculated.

"I didn't realize the Earth Club actually sent their representatives to the houses of their prospective clients. That's a bit of a hard-sell tactic, isn't it? Houjo-kun wasn't kidding when he said that you guys were pros," was Makoto's attempt at breaking the ice.

"To tell you the truth, we... aren't in the business of forcing our clients to enter a contract with us unwillingly. If anything, I'm here to stop you from going through this the best I can in case you aren't all that sure about it."

She shifted her seat and swiveled right in front of him so that they were face-to-face. "If you don't mind, I'd like to hear why you want to... avail of our services. Maybe after you've talked things through, you can come up with a decision with a clear head and an open mind."

"You're kidding, right?" Makoto laughed out loud.

"With all due respect, Miss Yukiko, my apartment should speak for itself why I'm considering to 'avail of your services'. I'm almost thirty, I'm a NEET, I'm a recluse, and I've failed to become a contributing member of society because of my inability to enter a university for four years straight, opting instead to concentrate on using my not-so-disposable income to buy creepy anime and manga series to escape the pressures of real life. If that's not a good enough reason to leave this cruel world, I don't know what is."

Yukiko stood up from her seat, clenched her fists, and said, "S-So what? So what if you're obsessed with your hobbies? Is that a valid enough reason to end your life? Don't all these shows and comics make you happy? Doesn't your love for these cheerful stories about everyday life prove that you haven't lost hope? I'm not one to judge, but if the only love you've found is through fiction that makes millions of people laugh and forget their problems, isn't that enough?

"No, of course not." Although Makoto didn't shout the words, they still carried a quiet enough impact to make Yukiko's knees buckle and compel her to sit back down the couch. "You're right, though. For the longest time, I've been depressed, and watching or reading those inspiring comedies helped tremendously in filling the void in my life. But..."

"...But what?"

"...Their lies about happiness and pure love sound false to me now. It's naive innocence. Charming yet dangerous when applied to real life. I won't be fooled any longer."

"...How?" she asked.

"What? Pardon?"

"How could your own collection of videotapes and comics lie to you? You must have watched or read them hundreds, maybe even thousands of times! You yourself admitted that they've been with you through thick and thin. Have they really betrayed you? You haven't even thrown them away, have you? Maybe it's you who's betraying their message of hope!"

"If you truly think that, then read this." Rummaging through the back pile of his manga library, Makoto produced a comic book called "Premium" (in English) and handed it to her. Yukiko hesitated from picking it up at first, but she eventually did so anyway.

Her jaw dropped as she flipped through the pages nearly every half-second, her eyes darting back and forth so fast it seemed like its edges were playing ping-pong with her iris. She read quite quickly, and in under ten minutes, she finished the graphic novel, her face warm and her arms wrapped tightly around her body as she avoided eye contact from Makoto.

He wasn't surprised by the reaction. The manga he handed her was an erotic comic depicting a similar scenario to the one they were having right then; an otaku together with his lovely angel of a neighbor who invited him to her apartment to have a nice chat about their daily lives, when suddenly her ex-boyfriend knocked on her door. She thrust her neighbor into her closet to hide him, afraid that her former lover would see her with another man.

One thing led to another, and before the sap of a nerd knew it, the girl of his dreams and her former lover had gotten back together, making love right in front of him while he was trapped in the closet. After the deed was done and the ex-boyfriend left, no matter how many times his neighbor apologized to him, his catatonic mind wouldn't register her words.

Just thinking about it made him hard. "That manga is my truth at present. How can you see redemption from filth such as me? Nerds regularly rage at comics like this, which exposes a huge double standard. If it were a man who had multiple lovers, no otaku would bat an eye, but if it were a woman who did it, those stupid virgins would be rioting."

"I completely understand." Yukiko put down the book on a nearby coffee table. "But this isn't news to me. I already know boys will be boys."

"R-Really?" Makoto's nostrils flared. Why wasn't she running for the hills? An otaku just made her read a cuckolding fantasy comic book. Did that mean she wanted to...?

"Makoto-san, boys will be boys, so if it's okay with you..." the Yukiko in his fantasy said as she took off her uniform and posed at him in her panties, bra, and gartered stockings.

"You have no sense of tact or delicacy, though, showing such books in front of a pure maiden," said the real Yukiko, which shattered his dreams in a hurry.

Makoto winced at the slap that never came. However, he reeled from a different kind of attack. "You're a sad, lonely man... aren't you?"

"Y-You weren't able to figure that out as soon as you entered my apartment? As soon as you realized I'm thinking about being part of a gathering of people out to do a suicide pact in Aokigahara? You're stating the obvious. You should stop trying so hard to save someone as disgusting and depraved as I am, Yukiko-san."

"I don't care about your sexual fetishes. That's your own business. As far as I'm concerned, it has nothing to do with why you want to end your life. If you're lonely and you want a friend, then why couldn't I be one to you?" asked the angel who'd come to save him, undeterred by his flaws and shortcomings.

"Don't be nice to me. You'll regret it."

"Eh?"

"Just now, as you asked me to be your friend, because I'm so hungry for love and affection, I totally thought that I've fallen in love with you."

Yukiko turned red from head to toe, her grit mouth gnashing her teeth in a manner unbecoming of a lady for some reason. She was a tomboy and a shy girl at the same time. How lovely!

"You haven't really fallen in love with me. Don't be silly, Makoto-kun. You barely know me."

"Of course, I have! That's how desperate I am. Why else would I hand you adult manga depicting a lovely girl visiting an otaku? It's the exact same scenario we're having right now. I have no intentions of being your friend. Even though I've only met you, I want you to be mine."

"I-I don't know what to say."

"Like you said, I'm a sad, lonely man." Makoto plopped down on his couch. "The mere hint of a girl's presence will have degenerates like me come running like dogs. I haven't collected all this junk because I believe in the purity of love. I gathered them instead so that I have material to jack off to."

Finally, the slap he'd been expecting for a long time now came crashing down his cheek, twisting his neck to the point of nearly breaking it.

* * *

"Wake up and stop acting so spoiled," Keiko told the pitiful man before her. Her slap was so fierce that the wig on Yusuke's head almost flew off. "You should stop trying to push me away. I know that we're strangers, but I meant it when I said I want to be friends with you."

"Friends? Don't make me laugh. Why would you even care about...?" An even stronger slap on the other cheek silenced Makoto instantly and made him lose his bearings for a second or two.

"You still haven't told me why you want to commit suicide," Keiko said while Yusuke wished he could clap his hands at his girlfriend's moxie.

'I thought for sure that she'd leave by the time he made her read an adult comic book, but she's still at it. At this rate, she could work for a suicide hotline.'

"What the heck do you want me to say? I was being completely honest with you! Any girl that suddenly enters an otaku's room would provoke the same reaction!" Makoto shot back.

"Ah, I made you mad. I'm so sorry. Can I have my tea now, if you don't mind?" With an apologetic chop, a grin, and a wink, Keiko sat back down the office chair, put her hands on her knees, and crossed her legs.

"I'm sorry about for slapping you earlier. I guess that manga of yours agitated me more than I thought it would."

"...N-No problem. I'll get it right away." Flustered yet docile, Makoto obeyed Keiko's suggestions, the heavy air of contempt lifting as he busied himself preparing tea for the first girl to ever enter his home.

'Huh. You have him wrapped around your pinky finger. You even kept him from kicking you out of his apartment,' Yusuke marveled before shuddering inwardly. What if Keiko had been manipulating him the same way without him realizing it? 'Um, so what's next?'

'I don't know, but I sure wish he were more honest with himself,' Keiko thought while taking a sip of the herbal tea brought to her.

'He sounded plenty honest to me. I mean, think about it. A girl entered his apartment unannounced, and like a typical virgin, he made a complete ass out of himself. No wonder Alicia dumped him.'

'That's the thing. There's more to it than that.' Keiko's eyes brightened as she asked, "Hey, Makoto-kun..."

"I'm sorry about showing you that manga and sexually harassing you just now!" apologized Makoto, his head bowed low enough to make crisscrossing imprints of the tatami mat on his forehead. "I wasn't lying about falling in love with you, though. You're like my guardian angel!"

'See? He's a nicer guy than we thought,' was Yukimura's smug remark to Urameshi. To Makoto, she reassured, "I don't mind. I'm not so sheltered as to not know how men are."

Makoto got up and grinned from ear-to-ear, his ears seemingly brimming with steam, which almost made him drop the tray he intended to return to his miniature kitchen.

'Ah, see, by saying that, he now thinks it's totally okay for him to fantasize about you sexually. He's probably dreaming about you right now. Naked. You should pick your words carefully, Keiko,' Yusuke commented, and Keiko retorted, 'No, he's not! He's just relieved we aren't fighting anymore!'

Once Makoto came back down to earth, Keiko asked, "What was your first love like, Makoto-kun?"

'God dammit, Keiko! What did I just tell you? Pick your words carefully! He'll totally misunderstand you!' Yusuke yelped from inside his shared mind.

"M-My first love was my Science Club advisor. Unfortunately, she was an X Japan fan, and I was more of a Turbo Pascal fan myself; that, and she was ten years my senior and she already had a boyfriend. It was never meant to be."

'Oooh, first love! First love! Hey, Yusuke, who was your first love? Was it me?' Keiko teased Yusuke.

'Y-You idiot, concentrate on the mission!'

"S-So who was your first love, Yukiko-san?" asked Makoto.

"Ah, me? Well, my first love was my childhood friend, of course. He's gross, uncouth, had hygiene problems, threw snot balls at me, flipped my skirt, and was a total brat who was always getting into fights because of his parents' messy divorce. For the longest time, I was his only friend..."

* * *

**To Be Continued...**

_Next: Aloise's secret._

_May kailangan pa ba akong sabihin?_**_  
_Abdiel**


	33. Chapter 32

**Demon Sword**

A Yuyu Hakusho/Rurouni Kenshin Crossover Fan Fiction by Chester Castañeda

Original Concept by Chad Yang

The conclusion of Aloise and Makoto's story.

_Disclaimer: Yuyu Hakusho is the rightful property of Yoshihiro Togashi, Shueisha, Fuji TV, and St. Pierrot. Rurouni Kenshin is the rightful property of Nobuhiro Watsuki, Shueisha, Shonen Jump, Viz, Sony Studios, Fuji TV, Studio Gallup, Studio Deen, and ADV. This disclaimer also covers all the other copyrighted material that are far too many to mention here. Don't sue me please, I'm very poor._

* * *

**Chapter 32: Homework Never Ends (Part 7)**

* * *

Nostalgia overwhelmed Keiko Yukimura's senses as her childhood memories came flooding back her mind. "People kept asking me why I hung out around Yusuke even as he began building a reputation as a delinquent. To be able to see a nicer side of him few others ever saw made me feel special, I guess. I'll never leave his side because I knew he'd do the same for me. No matter what happens to me or him, we'll always be together."

Yusuke Urameshi made mental gagging sounds within the depths of his consciousness. 'You're tearing me apart, Keiko!' However, had he control of his bodily functions, his body language might have conveyed a different message altogether.

"I understand. So your first love is your boyfriend, Miss Yukiko," said Makoto.

"I'm sorry for not telling you earlier." Keiko hugged the motionless Puu tightly, who might or might not have understood Yusuke's earlier bluff about him being a stuffed toy.

"Don't apologize." Makoto's lips quivered. 'How unfortunate.' To her, he asked, "Was there any particular point when you realized you've fallen in love with him?"

'...It was when I saved you from falling down the river, right?' thought Yusuke. 'That was what Natsuki said.'

"No. Actually, there was no set time or instance," Keiko responded to both Makoto and Yusuke. "It happened gradually. Every little thing he did for me made me fall in love with him more and more. Before I knew it, I couldn't imagine life without him," she confessed, and for all intents and purposes, Yusuke died of embarrassment right then and there.

Makoto sniffled and wiped the tears flowing freely from his eyes.

"M-Makoto-kun! Is there something the matter? Why are you crying?" Keiko felt a chill at the nape of her neck and, sure enough, behind her were Aloise and Sayaka. They made themselves scarce as soon as Makoto began his tirade earlier (saying things no ten-year-old girl should hear, regardless of the fact that she was a shinigami), and returned just now.

"You reminded me of someone. When I was in middle school, there was this sharp-tongued sarcastic rich girl who enrolled in our public school although she probably had the money and intelligence to get into any of the top private schools in the country. When I first met her, I thought she looked like a doll, and I didn't know how to act around her. For the longest time, I wasn't part of her inner circle of friends, but then I never imagined I would be.

"She was always with this emotionless guy who lived with her that she claimed to be her butler. The truth was even crazier than the rumors; the guy was the adopted son of her head butler back in their mansion. She was the typical spoiled little princess who spoke her mind whenever possible. Her supposed servant was usually the butt of their jokes, with her calling him Mister Roboto, an alien, a wax figure, and a statue, among many other things.

"Like you, I didn't know when or why I started falling in love with her. Did I fall for her razor-sharp wit? Her regal presence? Her ability to tell what everybody else was thinking but couldn't say out loud? I don't know. It just happened. Even if she spoke ill of her gangly manservant of sorts, I knew she was fond of him. She may have started falling in love with him too around the same time I did her... in the same manner, at that.

"I was determined to replace that bothersome guy as the person who was always next to her before he wised up and stole her away from me forever. So I gathered my courage and tried cutting in to talk to her, to confess the feelings I've been harboring all throughout middle school. I failed every time because her butler was everywhere, and he even investigated my background like some sort of junior detective. Luckily, she got into an argument with him for always shadowing her around more than usual to protect her from me.

"She and I eventually talked privately during the school festival, at your typical Maid Cafe. It was another disaster. I couldn't relate to anything she told me at all. She knew various topics about literature, film, and animation. If our school had a Film Club instead of a Cooking Club, she'd definitely join. All I knew were computers and videogames at the time. We were totally incompatible.

"I was so desperate to become a part of her life and have her secretly smile at me the same way she'd do to her butler that I called Kurosawa Akira a hack and a traitor to the country who only made western-style Japanese movies for an audience of foreigners. I admit, I was also pissed off at her yapping endlessly about her butler boyfriend when I told her that. It was a criticism I read in the newspaper once. Funnily enough, it worked, or at least in the sense that it made her start talking to me. At the time, she was so angry that she put me in a headlock until I took back what I said.

"The relationship we developed afterwards was mostly immature. Grade school crushes had more depth than our type of romance, or at least it seemed like a romance to me. She called me a nerd who'd remain a virgin for life. I called her the Virgin Queen who'll never find a man good enough for her royal standards. It escalated into pranks. She took away my school slippers one day. I took away her school swimsuit and put it in her butler friend's locker. She spread rumors that my best friend and I were gay. I spread rumors that she and her butler friend were engaged. Petty things.

"She even spread a rumor of her rejecting my love confession, ironically enough. The rumor hit close to home, and before I knew it, I almost cost her Cooking Club their chance to participate in Bunkasai by hiding all their measuring equipment in the Science Club's lab at the last minute. It didn't occur to me at the time that it was too awkward for her to get the measuring cups from me thanks to the rumor she spread.

"Then I discovered that her butler friend _again_ solved all her problems and became her hero by making substitute measuring devices for the club's baking needs. When I came to visit her, apologize, and bring back the stolen cups, she congratulated me on a job well-done, but said that I was no match against her butler who was always there to help. I don't know whether it was jealousy over her manservant or anger over how easy it was for her to lie about rejecting me that made me snap, but I lost my temper anyway.

"I asked her who exactly was I to her anyway. Time stood still at that moment for me, and I was so frustrated that I took the plunge and confessed my feelings to her. I didn't care that she was going to reject me for her butler friend anymore, I just had to let it all out. Our immature love-hate relationship ended then and there. As it turned out, as everyone in our school already knew, she was quite smitten by the boy that doubled as her servant and her childhood friend.

"So that was the point when she rejected you, right?" probed Keiko after sitting there and listening to Makoto ramble all that time.

The store clerk took a deep breath before answering, "No, she didn't. She instead asked me if I could help her forget about her butler. I told her that I couldn't promise her that, so I instead pledged, 'I'm going to make such a huge impact on you that you'll have a hard time forgetting about me instead.' She didn't reject me then, but her feelings for that man were too great to conquer, it seemed.

From behind Keiko, Aloise stirred and covered her face.

"So she didn't reject you at all?" came the falsetto-pitched question of Yusuke. 'Dammit, I thought he was committing suicide because his high school crush dumped him. Really?'

"We had a hard time keeping our dates secret from the student butler and his honed detective skills, but he was unexpectedly dense compared to when he thought I was stalking her because she was covering both our tracks this time around. Her consent and his obliviousness of her feelings made all the difference.

"Those precious few dates and secret rendezvous were some of the happiest moments in my life. Then, around the time her butler graduated high school... he was a year older than her... he made a scene at the graduation ceremony by giving her his second topmost button and attempting to French Kiss her for good measure. The bastard waited the last minute to confess his feelings for her."

"Ah! It was a graduation ceremony love confession!" Keiko exclaimed.

"She rejected him right on the spot, much to the shock of everyone who presumed they were already dating anyway. I was relieved at first, but a couple of days later, she told me something that I suspected from the start: There was already someone else that she liked, and it was her butler friend.

"She then begged me to break up with her. I knew deep down he was always going to get in the way of my relationship with her. She was always going to end up with him all along. I was the third wheel who failed to make her forget about him. We went our separate ways. I was nothing more than a distraction for her until the real love of her life finally got the balls to confess to her.

"Bad habits die hard, though. When we were dating, I started watching a lot of movies and reading a lot of books to keep up with her vast knowledge. When we broke up, I kept my viewing and reading habits, but this time around, animated series and comic books took up my interest. The 2D world then became my refuge and safe haven.

"Dude, isn't this story already over?" Yusuke asked, his patience wearing so thin that he forgot to pitch his voice up. "My apologies! I was being rude! Please continue!" Keiko amended while tweaking Urameshi's butt with his own hands.

"Is there something wrong with your voice?"

"Hehehe. I have a bit of a cold."

"...Well anyway, I was about to graduate from high school when she came back into my life in my final year. She really blossomed after entering her third year. She used to be flat as a board, but she then became a real beauty afterwards. That butler of hers was a goddamn lucky bastard, let me tell you.

"We decided to become friends, and from time to time, I listened to her rant about her boyfriend. Yes, she permanently trapped me in the friend zone, but I took what I could get. I couldn't make heads or tails of why she entered my life again, but I was happy she was in it.

'W-What's going on...?' both Keiko and Yusuke thought simultaneously as they gazed back and forth at the unreadable pokerfaced expressions of Aloise and Makoto.

"We both decided to study hard to enter Todai. It was bittersweet. I had to support her in the sidelines whenever one of her plans to reach her boyfriend's heart backfired, or whenever she became insecure about his inscrutable love. That guy, even though he's a regular Sherlock Holmes, is as dense as lead when it came to love. She told me everything, even her first kiss with him. It was heaven and hell for me.

"Around the time we finished taking our exams, my curiosity got the better of me and I asked what her boyfriend's plans were. She admitted that he was going to the police academy to pursue a career in law enforcement... yeah, surprise, surprise... and he asked her to _marry him_. But that wasn't the biggest shock I got. She apparently started studying with me to ask for my opinion. She wanted to know whether or not she should accept his proposal.

"It's like someone rubbing salt on partially healed scars until they became wounds again, to be honest. I told her to forget about me and be happy with her fiance. I told her that I'm happy she came back to my life and I wanted her to be happy. I told her everything I thought she wanted to hear from me.

"We met again for drinks a year later. That was the last time I saw her. She said she'll definitely contact me, but a few days later, I heard on the news that she'd been killed by a serial killer and her husband was in critical condition."

'Oh yeah. I heard about the Kanji Killer. Freaky stuff. He and Elaine were actually linked to that criminal?' thought Yusuke while Keiko asked, "What happened to Tokyo University? Why aren't you studying there?"

"I never went. Todai held too many memories of our study camps together. I honestly wanted to die after learning about her death. I applied for other universities as a ronin, did the whole nine yards in cram school, but in the end, I guess I wasn't as motivated as before.

"I became a regular in the Akiba scene, drowning my sorrows with the anime she taught me to love instead of with alcohol; I might have ended up living in a larger apartment had I just chosen alcohol. My allowance from home stopped coming, so I was forced to get a part-time job, and now here I am."

Makoto took a deep breath. "You know, that butler policeman is still around. He survived the attack, and he has proven to me that she made the right decision. He was much more deserving of her love. Until now, he's been painstakingly trying to piece together the identity of the asshole that killed her. He's her Knight in Shining Armor. I've completely lost against him."

* * *

Yukiko had her head bowed low, the bangs of her brown wig concealing her eyes, her lips as flat, straight, and pencil-thin as a ruler-made line.

"Thanks. I've decided to not attend your Aokigahara get-together after all. I'm sick of pining for a one-sided love that was never meant to be." He moved towards the portion of his home housing stacks of computer paraphernalia and got a hold of a shoebox. "If you would be so kind, please burn or throw this away."

"You forgot a couple of things in that story of yours," Yukiko said, her voice somehow sounding a lot different than before. It sounded rather recognizable to Makoto.

"What do you mean?" the store clerk asked.

"When she met with you for the last time, she confessed that like you promised, she couldn't forget about you ever since she graduated from high school," Yukiko said.

"W-What?" Makoto stuttered. "How did you know...?"

"Then she asked you a simple question: 'Do you still love me?' What did you answer?" Yukiko queried.

"I answered, 'More than life itself,'" Makoto replied.

Yukiko questioned, "What else happened?"

"She told me that she was going to make her final decision soon, and she wanted me to wait for her till she did. I remained hopeful. The exam results came and went. We both passed, but I then heard she got married with her butler and they ended up living in another district, and I thought that was that. They lived happily ever after. But then she died..."

Time stopped for about a second before Yukiko asked in a manner that Makoto deemed disrespectful to the memory of his lost love, "What do you think was her decision?"

He snapped, "She obviously decided to stay with her husband."

"You're wrong." Yukiko pressed her lips against Makoto's.

'Wha... WHA? WHAAA?'

The otaku hikikomori dropped the shoebox he was holding, spilling its contents: Pictures from the time his lost love and he secretly dated, the time she came back to him to study with him for the Tokyo University exams, and the time when they had their last dinner together, with him wearing a coat and tie and her wearing a business casual suit and pinned hair that he joked made her look like the mayor's secretary.

After he calmed his pounding heartbeat, Makoto maintained, "N-No. I can't be wrong. She isn't the type to cheat."

"Don't be stupid. Stop putting her on a pedestal. She isn't perfect. Not at all. And you of all people should know that."

"Stop it." The tears wouldn't stop flowing from his eyes, though. "I don't know how you know all this, but stop. I thought you wanted me to decline your stupid Aokigahara Suicide Pact. How can I do that if you won't let me move on? How can I do that if you won't let me forget about her and what I've lost after she was killed? Why tell me something when it's already far too late to do anything about it?"

"Please don't forget her." Yukiko blinked back her own tears. "If she were here, she would want you to know that she chose you after all. Would it be too much for you to move on while knowing that fact?"

"Stop it, dammit." Makoto chuckled while sobbing. "You sound just like her, making unreasonable demands." He almost choked on his own spit. "Look at what you did to me, making me taste bittersweet victory. That's a helluva information network you got there if you knew that much about me, Miss Yukiko."

"I apologize."

"Don't. I'm grateful for your help."

"Goodbye, Makoto-kun."

"Goodbye, Itsumi-chan."

Yukiko's heart got caught in her throat.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I meant to say Yukiko-san."

"No. It's quite all right. I feel like a heavy burden has been lifted from my shoulders. Thank you too."

With her realistic (or surrealistic) stuffed toy in tow, Yukiko slipped out of her slippers and into her school shoes, opened the door, and went off into the outside world. That was the last time Makoto ever saw her, at least as far as he knew.

"I guess it's about time for me to do some long-overdue oosouji, huh?" Oosouji was incidentally Japan's version of Spring Cleaning done every December 28. He took a look at the 1988 wall scroll and broken clock, then took them down.

* * *

_Outside the small apartment tucked away somewhere in Ueno District's Taito Ward, around noon or so...  
_  
"Was that a successful mission or... what?" Yusuke asked after finding an empty men's room to change out of Keiko's uniform and wipe out the makeup on his face. "I was surprised how Ally was able to force your ghost out of my body at the last minute. Now that's some willpower right there."

"I sort of consider ourselves to be ghost _helpers_ instead of ghost fighters, to be honest," Keiko said, sighing at her lack of a reflection on the mirror.

"Uh, Keiko, this is awkward. Wait outside. This is the men's room!"

"Yeah, yeah..."

In front of the comfort room floated Sayaka. "Where's Aloise, Sayaka-chan?" Keiko asked.

Sayaka said, "She's gone, but she explained to me everything before she left."

"I'd also like an explanation. I was shocked to learn that she planned to cheat on her husband with that guy. I mean, it's none of my business, but wow! I wonder what led her to marry that butler friend of hers even though she rejected his proposal to date her earlier on."

"Keiko-neechan, she's just like you," Sayaka murmured.

"...What?"

"She's being used as a source of jaki by one of the Chojin's minions, just like you."

"W-What are you saying? Are you sure?" Keiko grabbed hold of the tiny girl's shoulders while she trembled.

"She was killed by the Kanji Killer, correct? We have reason to believe that her murderer is part of the Chojin's army. I called the Spirit World to confirm it."

"But why did we let her leave, then? We have to save her!"

"Because we couldn't do anything to save her. I'm sorry, Big Sis. The person she's bound to, unlike with you and Seiryu, is still alive, so no soul reaper from Reikai can help her rest in peace. Also, she's not in a coma..."

"...You mean to tell me that if I'd died back then and Seiryu were still alive, I'd be in the same position as her?"

"Y-Yes."

"But Seiryu's dead, so I'm better off than her at least, right?"

"I don't know. I'm sorry, Neechan."

Just behind the door of the men's room stood Yusuke while holding Puu and a duffel bag, eavesdropping on the entire conversation the whole while before coming out to comfort his bawling girlfriend.

* * *

Back when Itsumi Ikumi was in high school and Likka Ikumi was a nine year old in primary school...

_"Chocolate for you, Uncle Jiji!" said Likka as she visited her adoptive big brother and the head butler's son after classes on Valentine's Day._

"Thank you. This is obligation chocolate, isn't it?" queried Daiji Matsudaira, opening the package and savoring the taste of the professionally wrapped bars. 'I wonder what brand of chocolate she bought. Rich people have it easy.'

"Uh, yeah... Of course." Likka's heart sunk, but at least Daiji appreciated the effort she put into both making the chocolate and wrapping it in Likka(tm) brand wrappers she made during arts and crafts class. They even spelled out her name.

"Don't worry. I'll make it up to you on White Day. I might even buy cake."

In Japan, Valentine's Day (February 14) was an occasion wherein females presented chocolate gifts as an expression of courtesy, social obligation, or love to men.

In turn, White Day (March 14) was the time males who received courtesy or love chocolates were expected to return the favor by buying presents, usually expensive ones. The latter holiday had been observed since 1978.

"D-Don't bother!" Likka harrumphed, pulled an eyelid, stuck her tongue out at Daiji, and left in a huff.

Unfazed, Daiji waved back at the girl with the same stony, unchanging face he always had.

* * *

_Waiting underneath the stairs of the overpass where Likka gave her Valentine's chocolate to Daiji was her bobcut-sporting, glasses-wearing older sister. "You still don't have the guts to confess to Jiji-kun, huh? You should give up on him. You know that robots are incapable of love, right?"_

Likka's perspiration flew as she waved her arms around and ran while swaying back and forth like a battery-operated toy of some sort. "Eh? U-Um, it's just obligation chocolate...!"

"That's a lie." Itsumi winked at her little sister as she patted her head. "Relax. I already know your secret. No need to hide it from me anymore. Walk with me."

"Please don't be mad, Sis!" Likka bowed low, the braid of hair she'd been growing long since grade school fluttering at her sudden movements. "I couldn't help myself. It... just happened."

"Now hold on a minute. Why should I be mad?" Itsumi's glasses fogged up as a vein popped on the side of her head, her arms crossed and her hips tilted while she awaited Likka's response.

"W-ell, you know. Even though I knew that you two are already dating, I still wanted to confess to..."

"WHO SAID WE WERE DATING?" Honestly. Likka was the last person whom Itsumi expected to fall for the rumors circulating around her school about her going out with Daiji, her childhood friend and manservant.

"Y'know, the usual people in the neighborhood."

"They have nothing better to do. I don't date the hired help."

"He isn't hired help! He's like family to us!"

"I don't date family either."

"...Um, so you're not dating Uncle Jiji?" Once Likka set her mind on something, it was hard for her to let it go, like making Valentine's Day chocolates for her "uncle".

"Like I said... No. And if you ask him yourself, he'll say the same thing."

"You're not being terribly honest with yourselves! You're always seen together after school!"

"You and I are always seen together after school too, but we're not dating either."

"You know that's different, Oneechan! Everyone knows you love Uncle Jiji! People are always asking if you two are dating or not!"

"Those people don't have a say on our relationship at all."

"So there is_ a relationship between you two?"_

"Yes. Master and servant."

"Doesn't that sound a bit kinky?"

"Stop talking like a dirty old man."

"Come on! He's handsome, he's super-intelligent, and he's also the tallest member of his class. He even got offers to play in the basketball club!"

"Who cares? He turned down those offers anyway. What, do you want_ me to date him?"_

"If you don't date him, then I might steal him from you when I grow up."

"Please do, Likka-tan. Please do."

"I mean it, you know."

Itsumi shook her head, turned, and tossed her bobbed hair as she faced her sister.

"If you insist on it so much, then I'll propose to Jiji-kun and we're going to get married after high school. He'll inherit our vast fortune before the inevitable moment when he kills me and you out of greed and becomes part of a whodunit case where for the first time ever, the butler actually_ did it."_

"You don't have to be a smart aleck about it! Poor Uncle Jiji. You're not taking his feelings seriously." In the corner of Itsumi's eyes, she saw a shadow of a smile form in the corners of her little sister's mouth.

"What feelings? That robot doesn't need human companionship."

"I don't want to hear that from you. You're the one he's always guarding like some sort of VIP," said Likka as her cheeks ballooned like a puffer fish's body.

"Aw, but he acts as your bodyguard too, Likka-tan! It was just the way he was raised! All Ikumi servants are trained like that. Don't put any special meaning into it," Itsumi waved off Likka's suspicions to no avail. Her little sister didn't buy it.

Likka brushed her forelocks away from her eyes. "I should give up. Maybe he likes you better than me."

"No, he doesn't. You don't know that. You're precious to the both of us."

Likka giggled. "Maybe you like him better than anyone else as well."

"No, I don't! Don't decide that on your own! Besides, you know Jiji-kun loves you a lot."

"But he only sees me as his little sister, and when I talked to him about Hikaru Genji and how he got his wife, he turned blue even though he still had that poker face of his on," Likka related the story as though she were talking about the ending of the Little Matchstick Girl or the Dog of Flanders (the 1975 version that the Ikumis had videotapes of).

By "Hikaru Genji", Likka meant the protagonist of the Tale of Genji who once got a wife by rescuing a little girl from her impoverished life, taking care of her, and waiting for her to grow up so that he could wed her when she was of age.

Itsumi flicked the top of Likka's head. "Little girls shouldn't talk to men about such stories. Let that be a lesson to you!"

* * *

_'Ugh. It's Kurogane-kun.'_

Itsumi walked brisker than usual at the sight of the gigantic geek in front of the local Mom and Pop video store. She didn't have time for his usual bullshit.

Makoto Kurogane had an appearance that made the Revenge of the Nerds cast look like Arnold Schwarzenegger. On top of that, he was three inches shorter than Itsumi. According to Daiji, the creepy little gnome was the same kid who followed the two of them around when they were in middle school.

Her butler alleged that Makoto had been spying on her during sports club practice, PE classes, and lunch breaks. He might or might not have taken up photography to get pictures of her as well, but that was more speculation on the butler's part.

Because Daiji feared that Kurogane's obsession would escalate to peeping at Itsumi in comfort rooms, bathrooms, showers, locker rooms, and her own house, he decided (without consulting her at all) to shadow her every movement like the Tokugawa Shogunate's Oniwabanshu (government-employed undercover agents).

She had to admit he was quite good, like he was born to play such a role had the Bakumatsu never came to pass and Oniwabanshu continued to exist all the way to the twentieth century. However, ironically enough, she quickly ran out of personal space herself because of Daiji's constant tailing of her, to the point that it was he_ who peeped at her in comfort rooms, bathrooms, showers, locker rooms, and her own house._

She probably didn't talk to Daiji for about a month or so after the embarrassing debacle. Regardless, Kurogane thankfully lost interest in her since then and, even as the three of them entered the same high school together, she'd been able to talk to Makoto recently without fear of being bound, gagged, and kidnapped. He probably took a hint after what happened to Daiji.

Of course, the kind of conversations they had nowadays seemed to be worse than the nonexistent talks they had when they were in middle school. He creeped her out less, but now he was insufferable! He insulted all her favorite movies, actors, and directors, claiming she had bad taste in film and television. That nerdy bastard couldn't even appreciate a national treasure like Akira Kurosawa!

Their arguments escalated to what the jocks in her school called a "pissing contest" wherein they played pranks on each other to irritate one another until one of them gave up. Nevertheless, she had could do without hearing him call her the "Virgin Queen" again, that was for sure.

However, curiosity overcame her reservations, and before she knew it, she was hiding behind the Science Fiction section and spying on Kurogane, doing what he did to her back in middle school. 'Never mind. It's karma in action.'

"Are we really_ going to rent that Matsuda Yusaku film, Makoto?" asked Kurogane's voluptuous (male) friend, his headphones strapped to his neck and his Sony Walkman resting on one of his belt loops. "I'd rather play with my Famicom. I want to pick up a new game."_

"Shut up. If you want to go, then go. I can do this by myself."

That was strange. Itsumi and Daiji were just talking about Yusaku Matsuda and his "Detective Story" film shown in theaters about two years ago. That detective-obsessed fanboy finally found a modern Japanese pop culture detective he could look up to (because he thought Lupin III's Detective Koichi Zenigata was an insult to the legendary Heiji Zenigata), so naturally he was hyped about Matsuda's latest detective film.

"I need to know more about Matsuda Yusaku, okay? I'll probably have to watch his films in reverse, starting from his latest ones to his past hits."

"And you call yourself Japanese, not knowing who the great Matsuda-sama is! What rock have you been living under?"

"I-I was preoccupied back then!"

"Bullshit. You didn't even care about television or movies until you entered high school." The rotund male chuckled. "Is it because of Ikumi? She has an interest in cinema even though she's part of the cooking club, right?"

"Y-You talk too much!"

"So you are_ doing this for Ikumi! Forget it, man. She's way out of your league. She's too gorgeous for you. Didn't you learn from your mistakes the last time you tried to stalk her?"_

"I didn't stalk her, her pet giraffe overreacted!" Incidentally, giraffe was one of the crueler nicknames Daiji was given as a kid with an overactive thyroid gland.

"That's the thing. She and Matsudaira are practically husband and wife already."

"They're not. They've both denied they're dating."

Itsumi had heard enough. She went through the fire exit to avoid being spotted by the two nerds. Then, for one reason or another, she waited for Kurogane in a blind corner of the alley until he passed her by. She then jumped out and called his attention.

"Kurogane-kun."

"V-Virgin Queen!"

"Who's the Virgin Queen?"

The slap she gave Makoto impressed even her, especially with the way he turned around twice before landing on the ground like a puppet entangled by its own strings. One of her best slaps yet.

"W-What did you do that for?"

"You don't have to try so hard, you know?"

"W-What?"

"Never mind. I'll leave you to your hobbies, Kurogane Makoto-kun. See you at school."

"Huh? Why are you calling me by my full name? Hey, wait...!"

As Itsumi left Makoto behind, she realized, 'Jeez, he's still madly in love with me.'

There was a possibility of her misinterpreting his intentions because she was full of herself, but she had a feeling... via her female intuition, perhaps... that she hit the nail right on the head this time around.

She herself could relate. She didn't even touch all those Betamax and VHS tapes her father accrued through the years until Daiji himself began scouring through them like a madman.

She and Makoto were on the same boat.

It was strange. Before Kurogane started talking to her about movies, novels, and TV shows, she had a hard time following what Daiji told her about his latest discoveries in the world of detective media.

Hell, she didn't even know the difference between sweet basil and Basil Rathbone until the vertically challenged geek suggested renting the subtitled version of the series, "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" if she wanted to see what a definitive Sherlock Holmes looked like.

Now she could converse with Daiji about detective movies with ease.

'Thank you, Makoto-kun.'

When they reached their second year, because she had a devilish sense of humor, she spread a rumor that he confessed to her and she dumped him in order to end their pissing contest once and for all.

* * *

A year later since then... __

"Curse you, Kurogane-kun!"

The diminutive dweeb did it this time by hiding all the measuring cups that the Cooking Club needed for the School Cultural Festival.

Last year, the boy induced her wrath by insulting Akira Kurosawa, and this year he made her even angrier than before by doing something that could cost her club the chance to present fresh-baked goods for this year's Bunkasai.

Was he really in love with her? Because if this was an expression of his love, she didn't want to know what his idea of hate was!

Okay, maybe she shouldn't have spread that rumor about him being rejected by her no matter how believable it was, but that was no excuse in involving innocent parties into the matter! He was totally overreacting to what she did.

She even got to the point where she had to call Daiji's help to solve the crime (or at least have him take the cups from Makoto's hands) when he came up with a better idea on the spot that would buy them some time, since the festival was about to start anyway.

With a conversion table on hand, her club was able to use an empty milk jug that was about a pint and a glass that was marked off by half a pint with permanent markers as a substitute for measuring cups, give or take a pint.

She didn't need to humiliate herself by confronting the guy she supposedly rejected (she imagined his demand would be, "Clear the rumor about me!" or something), her classmates were able to create their pastry masterpieces in time, and she would emerge the victor of their pissing contest (although she really wished it wasn't called that).

Most importantly, this was the second sweetest thing Daiji ever did for her ever since he told her and Likka that they were always going to be family after their parents died from the Japan Airlines Flight 350 crash about five years ago. She gave Daiji a peck on the cheek in appreciation of his quick thinking.

"Of course, she can only rely on her husband in the end to help sort out messes like this. They're an unbeatable team!" said one of Itsumi's friends.

"They should be the festival's King and Queen, methinks," said another fellow Cooking Club member.

"Shut up, you guys." She felt her cheeks heat up.

"Please don't bother Itsumi-san. She doesn't like it when you tease her about that," pleaded Daiji in monotone.

A different fire engulfed Itsumi's chest. "Don't you see you're bothering Mister Roboto here? The silly affairs of us puny humans are beneath him."

"Oh? I thought you_ were bothered by it," said Daiji._

"Really?" Itsumi's heart skipped a beat. "So what am I exactly to you?" she asked before her whole body became feverish upon realizing that Daiji and her had an audience before them.

The tall, ravishing youth with spiky bangs and the bluest eyes she'd ever seen on a Japanese boy took a look at her, then at her fellow club members, and answered, "My childhood friend and employer."

Her heart plummeted to her stomach, swimming in digestive juices. In the corner of her eyes, she saw her friends wince at the answer.

With a smile and a nod, she said, "Thank you for clearing that up, Jiji-kun. See you later."

"You're welcome," he said.

"Domo arigato, Mister Roboto," indeed.

* * *

A little later, after the festival, inside the Cooking Club's room where she volunteered to clean up the ensuing mess...  
_  
"I heard your pet giraffe... I mean, Matsudaira rescued you from karmic retribution," said a subdued Makoto as he entered the club room while carrying a box full of measuring cups. "Congratulations on a successful Bunkasai."_

'It's okay that you call him a giraffe. I want to call him worse things,' was what Itsumi wanted to tell him, but she was pissed off at him too.

With a saccharine sweet voice, she said, "Congratulations on the measuring cup prank! You sure got us. Too bad my butler is always two steps ahead of you. I'll pay you back later. Look forward to it."

He seemed taken aback by her attitude. "You're not going to congratulate me on a successful Bunkasai?"

She took the box of measuring cups and began placing them back on the cupboards. "No. The Science Club's School Festival presentation sucked. Seriously? Baking soda volcanoes? What are you, in middle school? Lame."

Even Makoto had to laugh at that. "Yeah, we did go a bit 'Science Fair' on the whole presentation thing. That must've given me enough free time to pull the prank."

After Itsumi closed the cupboard and turned around, she expected Makoto to have already left. He hadn't yet. "Can I help you with something, Kurogane-kun? If you're waiting for me to apologize about the love confession rumor, all I'm going to say is all's fair in love and war."

"Whatever. I'm actually wondering if you need any help washing the dishes."

"Nope. I have that covered."

"Sweeping the room?"

"Already did that."

"Y'know, 'A Taxing Woman' was quite interesting..."

"I don't want to talk about movies right now."

"...I'm sorry, all right!"

"Nope, still not... What?"

"I'm sorry I took your damn measuring cups!" he said while prostrating himself on the floor.

"H-Hey! I said it was no big deal! And besides, I did even worse by calling you and your one fat best friend gay!"

"I don't care about that!"

"If it's about the love confession rumor thing... F-Fine! I'm so...!"

"I LOVE YOU! I've always loved you! Will you go out with me?"

Those words shouldn't have as much impact on her as they did because she already figured out he was smitten by her a year ago. Nevertheless, hearing it straight from his mouth served as her metaphorical truck horn while she stood petrified in front of the eighteen wheeler that was about to plow her down and turn her into Japanese pancake (also known as okonomiyaki, by the way).

"I've loved you ever since middle school. No, I didn't stalk you, but sorry for making you think that I did. Now, if you want to make those rumors that you rejected my love confession into reality, go ahead. Get it over with."

At the back of her mind, even though she hated herself for thinking it, she desperately wanted the taller, handsomer, smarter, would-have-been basketball player, and wannabe detective known as Daiji Matsudaira to confess his love for her.

"Even now, you're thinking about him, aren't you?" Makoto didn't need to say who it was he was referring to.

"I-I'm not...!" she lied.

"So what am I exactly to you?"

She reeled from having her own words thrown back at her. Suddenly, she could empathize with the person before her, as though she were looking in a mirror.

She remembered Daiji's answer to the same question.

Those were the circumstances that prompted her to ask, "Can you make me forget about him?"

She didn't know if he heard it from a movie or read it from a novel, but she never did forget his answer. "I can't promise that. But I do promise that even beyond death, I'll make sure that I'll make such a huge impact on you that you'll have a hard time forgetting about me."

After a minute or two, she smirked and said, "Then I'll go out with you."

That was the first time she ever saw a man faint.

* * *

_"You aren't doing something silly like dating some computer geek to make Uncle Jiji jealous, are you?" was the first thing that Likka told Itsumi as soon as the littlest Ikumi got word that her big sister was "cheating" on her "husband" with the President of the Science Club._

"No. Mind your own love life."

Makoto and Itsumi didn't get many dates because they stayed under Daiji's radar. She imagined the situation as though she were Irene Adler and she was hiding an illicit affair with another man from Sherlock Holmes himself, except good ol' Sherlock only viewed her as an employer and a friend. He could_ spy on her, but he most likely wouldn't because he wasn't interested at all._

'Huh. It's just like what happened in the books, then.'

"If you're still sore about Uncle Jiji's answer to you in the Bunkasai," Likka started while Itsumi braided her hair and demanded to her to reveal her sources, "then think for a second. He's not the type of person to embarrass you in front of your friends, especially after all the times you've vehemently_ denied that you two were going out."_

"We really weren't_ going out!"_

"...And that_ probably convinced him that you don't want to go out with him at all. Ever. I bet he said what he said while remembering what you said about him being a mere friend and hired help."_

Itsumi harrumphed. "People seem to have made their mind up about me and him. Don't I have a say on the matter?"

"I guess you do. Too bad you don't really love that nerd."

Itsumi didn't bother addressing the allegation. 'Unlike Jiji-kun, he's actually interested.'

Seemingly reading her mind, Likka asked, "But are you_ interested in him, though? It won't work out if only one party is interested in a relationship."_

'The same could be said of me and Jiji-kun, then,' Itsumi reckoned as she finished braiding Likka's hair.

* * *

Around the third years' graduation time, which meant it was Daiji Matsudaira's turn to graduate because he was a year older than Itsumi...  
_  
"Okay, I'm here as I promised. What the hell do you want?" Itsumi was her pleasant self, as usual._

"Thank you for coming, Itsumi-san." Daiji's jacket was button-free by the time Itsumi arrived.

The Japanese tradition of taking buttons from a male senior as a confession of love... specifically the topmost second button... was a practice popularized by a novel written by Daijun Takeda.

It was written there that the second button was the one closest to a graduating student's heart and it supposedly contained his feelings and emotions from all three years of his attendance in high school. Girls were also free to ask for the rest of the buttons, not necessarily the second one, from the senior they liked the most.

Daiji was currently without buttons because despite rumors of his "secret marriage" to Itsumi, he remained quite popular among the first and second years. It was also the reason why so many people were bugging him on whether or not he was dating/engaged/secretly married to Itsumi.

Regardless, he rummaged through his pockets and gave his second button to Itsumi. "I love you. Will you please be my girlfriend?"

"W-What...?"

His lips drew close to hers. Her face turned burgundy. Her hand made its way to his face before their lips could make contact.

How dare he? Now, after all this time? After she tried desperately to forget seeing him "that way", he came waltzing back into her heart.

Everyone in the graduation ceremony froze. Even the teachers, the parents, and the vice-principal gathered around to the scene.

"Is that what you want me to say? 'I love you'? Please. Don't flatter yourself," she said through grit teeth. From a distance, she could see Makoto standing stock-still. As soon as their eyes met, she turned and ran away.

Why was she so angry? If she wanted to turn down Daiji, there were far less humiliating ways to do it. The diplomatic thing to do was say she was sorry and she liked someone else. She'd done that a multitude of times to countless suitors before.

Did she really love Makoto that much to do that? Was it really Kurogane who made her do that? They barely even dated.

On the same overpass where, a year ago, Likka gave Daiji Valentine's chocolate stood Likka, her hands on her hips, her posture belying her petite form.

"What do you want?"

"I saw what happened." Likka glared.

"I-I'll apologize to him sooner or later. We live in the same house, after all..."

The jumping slap from her little sister silenced her.

"We may never see Uncle Jiji again because of what you did! He said he was going to the police academy after graduation, right? He may leave our family forever! You know he never cared about the family fortune! He always wanted to live on his own, and you're now pushing him away!"

"Relax. Don't be silly. He won't leave our family because of that. I'll talk to him."

"Why were you so angry back there?" Likka asked the same question Itsumi asked herself earlier. "If you really want to stay with whoever your boyfriend is right now, then you could've told Uncle Jiji, and he'd understand, right? Why did you do that to him?"

She soon realized she was clenching her toes, fists, and teeth. "I don't understand him at all. It's always like this when I'm around him. One minute he acts like he doesn't care, the next minute he does something so sweet that..."

"You still love him, don't you?"

Itsumi could feel the breeze waft through her hair and her clothes as she let Likka's words sink in.

"I... can't..."

"You can't keep stringing your boyfriend along while still holding feelings for Uncle Jiji. You shouldn't date him out of obligation either. It might lead to something you'll regret."

"Then what should I do?"

"I don't know. I'm nine years old, and I'm in love with a guy who's madly in love with my sister." Likka rested her back on the overpass's railings while cars whizzed by below them. "Which of them do you love the most?"

"..."

"Oneechan?"

"Let's go home."

"I'm sorry for slapping you. Your nose and cheeks are still red."

'That might not be your slap's fault.'

* * *

A few years later...  
_  
Shouldn't Itsumi be happier than she was now? She got what she wanted. She made up with Daiji. She broke up with Makoto before she hurt him any longer by stringing him along._

Daiji and her were about to become a couple living in their own home. It was the happy ending she'd dreamed of ever since she realized her feelings for a boy she'd known all her life.

So why was she studying for the Tokyo University entrance exams alongside her ex-boyfriend, the alleged rebound, Makoto? Why was she hesitating when Daiji proposed to her, asking for her hand in marriage so that they could get hitched after she graduated? Why did she ask him to wait for an answer?

She eventually realized why she was so angry when he confessed to her far too late. A year ago, she would've been putty in his hands. Until then, it was hard for her to hate him, and even harder to forget everything he did for her and her family during trying times, like when her parents died or when they were being bullied by their relatives and their lawyers for their share of the Ikumi wealth.

That fondness for him would never disappear. She'd sacrifice her life for him in a heartbeat. Her romance with him, though, was another story. One of her biggest regrets was breaking up with Makoto in such a horrible way, dumping him as soon as Daiji came whistling back. Who was the master and who was the servant again?

She remembered the excuses Makoto would make in order for them to see each other. Like the frightening, obsessive-compulsive stalker she thought he was, Kurogane got Daiji's daily schedule, gave her a copy, and highlighted all the possible times they could meet.

They might have gone to one or two movies the whole time they were seeing each other. Probably. And a dinner date. The whole remaining second year till Daiji graduated and preparations for the university exams began were filled with aborted meetings, changed schedules, exchanged notes, and stolen glances.

For the longest time, her heart held a torch out for Daiji, and all those emotions came crashing back to her as soon as he confessed his love for her during his graduation. She'd always loved him more than Makoto, which was why he was the one she chose. After all, someone's feelings for another didn't suddenly disappear; but that also meant her growing feelings for Makoto didn't suddenly disappear either.

The damn rat bastard was always there for her even when they decided to become just friends. He supported her love for Daiji despite himself, listened to her love problems, and did everything he could to make sure her relationship with her childhood friend succeeded. Ironically, the closer she got with Daiji, the more Makoto crept into her heart without her realizing it.

For quite some time, she couldn't be honest with herself. Her mind couldn't believe that she could love any other man than Daiji. But soon, even she couldn't deny it.

It was the little things. Feelings didn't disappear in an instant, but they gradually did. They didn't suddenly change, but they did change. The sum of everything Daiji did made her love him more and more. The same could be said about her and Makoto. Every little thing that he did for her, even in retrospect, made her fall for him slowly but surely.

She was soon looking forward to her study sessions with Makoto as much as she looked forward to spending more time with her busy butler boyfriend. What was she doing? Who did she really love? The man who finally shared her feelings for him after the longest time, or the man who made his feelings known to her from the get go?

She told Makoto about Daiji's proposal. She asked him what should she answer. She easily recognized the pain in his eyes, yet she still asked that question. Naturally, he cheered her on. Did she really expect him to say that she should marry him instead?

Yes, she did wish that, but maybe he realized what she realized: She currently had a responsibility to do the right thing. So she married the love of her life and left the rebound.

She and Makoto met for drinks a year later. She wanted to hit him upside the head for not going to Todai and being nothing more than a ronin bum even though he passed.

They reminisced about old times, and that was the happiest she felt in years. She remembered the lunches she brought him, the study camps they had, the handful of secret dates they made while they were still together, and the countless movies they'd discussed.

At that point, all he could talk about were love comedy anime, but even then, their conversation went on for hours.

After their meeting, she told him that she made her decision and she would contact him soon. He didn't seem to think much about what she said, but it was something she'd been mulling over for about a year.

* * *

On July 5, 1989; at the Ueno District's Taito City, while Daiji was driving around town with his wife of about one year...  
_  
"I think I'm pregnant with your child, Jiji-chan," Itsumi joked while trying to broach a sensitive subject as gently as she could._

"I'm happy to hear that," deadpanned Daiji.

She observed, "Yeah, I can see that you're beside yourself with joy, Jiji-chan. You're like a burst party favor right now."

"Please don't call me that," said Daiji, although "Jiji-kun" was somehow perfectly all right with him. "So you're pregnant. That's interesting."

By Buddha's bouncing belly, did he really think she was serious? "U-huh. That's what happens when a girl and a boy really_ love each other..."_

"Not necessarily, as evidenced by the present divorce rate, latchkey children, single mothers, deadbeat fathers, and overpopulation problems. Love doesn't have anything to do with sex."

He really went there. For someone who seemed to be an expert of love, she was amazed at how hard it was for him to read the mood. Then again, she couldn't just say, "Honey, I want a divorce. I'm in love with another man," outright.

But she had to do this. She already made a huge mistake not telling Daiji about Makoto as soon as he confessed to her during his graduation ceremony, although she wasn't sure about her feelings back then.

Was this worth it? Was her love for that otaku ronin worth ruining a marriage before it even started? She remembered her mother, who was in the same predicament as she was now. She discovered it one day when she drank a bottle of tequila in one go.

Her mother didn't love her father. She married him out of a sense of obligation. On one hand, her sacrifice led to her and Likka's existence. On the other hand, it was hard being around the house before her parents decided to sleep in separate beds. The flight that killed them was actually a last-ditch effort to save their marriage.

Or maybe she really was selfish and stupid. Regardless, this had to happen.

She groaned. He still went on and on about the imaginary pregnancy. She listed off what she thought was the symptoms of pregnancy. Swelling breasts meant someone was pregnant, right? "What do you think? Are you excited to become a father?"

"Yes, Mistress. I really am excited. As soon as you can confirm it, I'll be even more excited."

"Whoopty-do, I wonder what that_ would look like."_

Contrary to what she'd imagine as popular belief, she wasn't divorcing Daiji because he was an emotionless pile of dense matter that somehow took human form. She was used to that since they were children. She was divorcing him because they could both do better. She didn't want to hurt him or herself by enduring a marriage of obligation.

"I guess this is as good as it gets, huh?"

His eyes were glazed over, although he paid enough attention to the road to keep the both of them safe. She wondered what he was thinking. The next thing she knew, something blindsided them and their car spun out of control. It went to an abrupt stop, then afterwards... pain.

A car accident right in the middle of her asking him for a divorce: Could things get any worse?

He kept panicking about her wellbeing and a baby that didn't exist. This was the first time she ever saw him so distressed. He asked her repeatedly if she had a concussion. He also said he hoped their baby was safe. In the confusion, even she started becoming worried about a baby she didn't really have.

She told him to calm down, to repeat what she was saying. Relax. They were going to get help. Everything was going to be fine. She saw the man they hit or had hit them... she wasn't sure... move towards their vehicle.

They needed to go to a hospital. She didn't like the amount of blood she saw on the dashboard, and she wasn't sure if she herself was "all there", so to speak.

In an instant, a long, metal something pushed right through the car and into her abdomen, making blood gush from her wound. The stab was excruciating, but what really worried her was seeing a fountain of her own blood.

"IT-CHAN!"

She fell to the side of the road. She then saw her husband battle this muscular behemoth with a longsword. Daiji never joined the basketball team or any other sports club, but the way he moved then and there was nothing short of spectacular. Like he were some sort of ancient warrior.

He did it all for selfish ol' her.

Those were the things that was on her mind the last few minutes of her life when she said to Daiji, "You were amazing. I don't deserve you."

* * *

_Back at the relative present...  
_  
Aloise wiped the overflowing tears from her eyes, wondering if their faint saltiness was due to her imagination or because the ectoplasm leaking from her ghostly tear ducts really did taste that way.

"I've found you at last, Matsudaira Itsumi," the dark, flaming form of the monster that left her bound in the physical plane boomed. It was the murderer of Itsumi Matsudaira (nee Ikumi), deceased wife of Shinjuku Detective Daiji Matsudaira.

"Xinhai Feng." The flaming specter was the shadow clone of Xinhai, who was part of the Chojin's Shin Ju. He was also known as the (other) Kanji Killer or the One-Eight-Ten Killer. For whatever reason, the fire giant's right hand and forearm were missing.

"You had this all planned out too, I suppose," said the jaki-bound spirit. "You allowed me to speak to my former husband and my former lover to gather the info you need."

"Yes. Of course, you couldn't help yourself." He put his flaming hands unto Aloise's... actually, Itsumi's... shoulder, feeling her ectoplasm boil and bubble from his touch. Her face remained unmoved save for a tearful wince.

"I was wondering what you meant when you said that you don't deserve him. Now I have what I need to turn him into one of my slaves, just like you."

* * *

**To Be Continued...**

_Next: The prelude to war._

A major event is about to happen in the Demon Sword world, and it involves Kurama and the Kanji Killer crossing proverbial swords once more. A battle of wits is about to take place.

_May kailangan pa ba akong sabihin?_**_  
_Abdiel**


End file.
